When It Rains
by Harliquinn
Summary: An attempted jail break brings a few surprises to the Seven, including one in the form of an angry teenage girl. Are they up to the challenge? Warning: This story will contain the disciplinary spanking of an adult and a teenager.
1. Chapter 1

**WHEN IT RAINS . . .**

**Summary: An attempted jail break brings a few surprises to the Seven, including one in the form of an angry teenage girl. Are they up to the challenge? **

**WARNING: This story will contain the disciplinary spanking of an adult and a teenager. If you are offended by this, don't read it.**

**Disclaimers: I don't own the characters and setting of The Magnificent Seven. I'm just borrowing them for a while and promise to return them relatively unharmed, although Mary Travis may not be too happy with me when I'm done with her. **

**Author's note: The title is a reference to the idiom "when it rains, it pours." I had a hard time coming up with a summary and title that would do justice to this story without giving too much of it away. I'm not quite sure I succeeded. I've also taken some liberties with some of the geography of the town of Four Corners and its surroundings. I had to rearrange the location of some of the buildings in town to make the story that was unfolding in my head work. **

**All reviews and comments are welcome. Seeing the reviews in my inbox make the time and effort I put into this worthwhile. **

**CHAPTER 1**

"Jed Slater, the jury has found you guilty of five counts of murder." Judge Travis looked squarely at the man seated in the defendant's chair. All during the trial, the man had exuded an air of arrogance that the judge, and evidently the jury, had found distasteful. "I, therefore, sentence you to death by hanging – to be carried out within 48 hours."

The courtroom erupted into chaos, the men crowded into the Grain Exchange cheering the decision. The seven men who served as protectors and peacekeepers for the town of Four Corners moved forward from the various locations around the room where they had been standing. As Chris Larabee moved forward to take Jed Slater by the arm and escort him from the courtroom, he saw a man he didn't recognize slip out of the courtroom doors. He had a bad feeling about what that meant.

Meanwhile, Judge Travis was pounding his gavel on the table that served as his bench, demanding that order be restored to the courtroom. "Mr. Larabee, you and Mr. Sanchez get this man out of here and back over to the jail. If we're not careful, we're going to have a lynch mob on our hands."

Chris nodded to the other men as he and Josiah escorted the convicted man out of the room. The others stayed behind to establish peace, and would soon meet them at the jail.

Less than an hour later, Judge Travis entered the jail, followed by Vin, Ezra, Nathan, Buck, and J.D. Chris and Josiah were sitting at the only desk in the room, ignoring the shouts and threats of retribution coming from the man in one of the two cells. Judge Travis looked over at Jed Slater as he entered the room. "Mr. Slater, I've heard just about enough out of you. If you don't shut up, I may just shoot you myself and save this town the trouble of building a gallows." He then turned to look at the seven men he had hired to protect the town. "Let's step outside. There's something we need to discuss."

When the eight men had made themselves comfortable on the jailhouse's front porch, Judge Travis lit a cheroot. He contemplated the burning tip for a moment before speaking. "Mr. Larabee, I assume you saw the man sneak out of the courtroom after I pronounced Mr. Slater's sentence." At Chris' surprised look, the judge chuckled. "I assure you, Mr. Larabee, there is not much that happens in my courtroom that I am not aware of."

"You're thinking he was one of Slater's men, gone to report back to the others," Chris said, straightening up from where he had been leaning against a post.

"And that is the reason for the short time frame for carrying out the execution." Ezra was beginning to see where this conversation was going, and he didn't like it. "You are of the opinion that the miscreant and his associates will attempt to liberate our prisoner before the hangman can earn his fee."

Judge Travis nodded and pointed his cheroot in Ezra's direction.

Vin stood up. "I'll ride out and track him, see if I cain't locate their camp. Find out how many of 'em there are."

Chris nodded. "Good idea. I expect they'll try and strike at dawn tomorrow – try and take us by surprise. We need to get ready for them." The other men nodded, already mentally planning their preparations.

"What about the town folks?" J.D. asked. He still wasn't quite over having accidentally killed a woman while attempting to stop a bank robbery and didn't want a repeat of that tragedy. Buck reached over and squeezed J.D.'s shoulder, giving him a silent show of support.

"We'll order all of the women and children to stay indoors, away from doors and windows, until it's all over. Any of the men who want to help will be welcome." Chris also sent J.D. a look that said the gunfighter knew and understood the young man's concerns.

The men discussed their plans and preparations for the anticipated attack the following dawn. When they finally decided on a plan of action, Judge Travis dropped the butt of his cheroot to the porch and ground it out with the toe of his boot. He slapped his leg, and stood. "Well, guess that settles it. Everybody know what they're supposed to do?" The seven men nodded. "Let's get busy. We've got a lot to do before dawn."

"We?" J.D. questioned.

"Yes, 'we', young man." Judge Travis smiled at J.D. "You don't think I'm going to let the seven of you have all the fun, now do you?"

J.D. laughed. "Nope, guess not."

Six hours later, Vin rode back into town from his scouting trip. Barricades had been erected along the street to provide cover from flying bullets. A number of the businesses already had "closed" signs hanging in their windows and the merchandise that would normally be lining the sidewalks in front of the stores had been put away. The town looked as though it was well prepared for the battle to come. He dismounted and took his horse into the livery stable, where he removed the saddle and brushed the animal down.

As Vin left the livery to go in search of the others to report his findings, he spotted Chris and Mary standing in front of the _Clarion_ office. Their raised voices carried easily, broadcasting their argument to anyone who cared to listen.

"I don't see why I am expected to hide away like a coward. This is my town, just as much, if not more so than it is yours. I should be allowed to defend it." Mary was standing toe to toe with the black-clad gunman, seemingly oblivious to the anger that was radiating from him.

"I ain't gonna argue with you about this, Mary. All women and children are to remain inside out of danger until we say otherwise. And that includes you." He removed his hat and ran his hand through his dark blond hair. "There'll be a lot 'a bullets flyin' around, and we don't want anybody getting' hurt by accident. I told you once that Billy's already lost his father, he doesn't need to lose his mama, too. You think about that." Chris turned and walked away, leaving Mary staring after him, her mouth agape in surprise.

As Vin entered the saloon, he spotted Ezra, Buck and J.D. sitting at a table in a corner of the large room. He ordered a beer from the bartender and moved to sit down and join his friends. "So what's the plan?"

"We're meetin' over at the jail in a bit to finalize everything," Buck told him.

"Spotted Chris arguin' with Mary as I came over," Vin reported to the other men. "Sounds like she don't want to play it safe in the mornin'."

Ezra laughed. "Ah, yes. The intrepid Widow Travis. She's bound and determined that she will participate in the coming confrontation. I half expect our Mr. Larabee will have her bound, gagged, and tossed into a root cellar somewhere before morning."

The men continued to chat before deciding to move their discussion to the porch of the jailhouse, where they could be sure they didn't have an audience for their discussions. Vin reported that he had trailed the member of Slater's gang to a camp about two miles outside of town, where he'd counted a dozen men. The seven peacekeepers, along with Judge Travis and few other men from town finalized their plans to meet well before dawn the next morning.

* * * * * * *

The next morning saw the men stationed at various locations around Four Corners. Judge Travis, Vin, and Josiah had taken up positions around the jail. Chris had positioned himself behind some barrels beside the _Clarion_ office. He had a good view of the jail and livery stable, and wanted to be close to the newspaper office. He couldn't shake the feeling that Mary was going to take it into her head to disobey him and attempt to join the coming gun fight.

They didn't have to wait long. As dawn broke over the eastern horizon, the sounds of approaching horses filled the air. At least a dozen men road through town toward the jail. Chris watched with curiosity as two of the riders broke off from the group and headed toward the livery stable, but returned his attention to the remaining men. The plan was to wait until the men approached the jail before taking action. Sure enough, the men dismounted and moved toward the jail. As the first man reached the jailhouse door, Judge Travis stepped out of his hiding place and leveled a sawed off shot gun at the man, demanding that they all drop their weapons and raise their hands. Just as they had anticipated, the outlaws reached for their guns. Judge Travis dove for cover, and bullets started flying.

The movement of the _Clarion_'s door caught Chris' attention and drew his attention momentarily away from the battle.

"Damn it." He'd been right. Mary was crouching low in the partially open door, a rifle in her hands. He watched as she moved from the doorway toward the overturned wagon at the opposite end of the porch. Chris quickly reloaded his gun and returned his attention to the battle being waged in the street. He knew the instant one of Slater's men caught sight of the woman.

"Ezra!" The gambler looked over and instantly read the situation. He laid down cover fire as Chris ran across the porch, grabbed Mary around the waist and dove for cover, seconds before a bullet slammed into the wall behind them. Once behind the wagon, he yanked the rifle out of Mary's hands and shoved her none too gently to the ground.

Mary was frightened. She had been bound and determined that she would help defend Four Corners. But once she stepped outside the newspaper office, she wasn't quite sure what to do. This wasn't her first gun fight, but some how this one seemed so much worse. It hadn't helped matters any when Chris Larabee had appeared out of no where and jerked her off her feet. It had startled her so much that she had missed the bullet hitting the building behind her.

She moved into a crouching position and reached for the rifle that Chris had tossed into the dirt a few feet away.

"Leave it." Chris hadn't even looked up from reloading his gun, but the hard edge to his voice convinced her to obey. Then, as quickly as it started, the shooting stopped. As silence weighed heavily in the air, Mary took a chance and looked around the side of the wagon toward the jail. Dead or injured men lay in the street. She watched as the judge, Vin, and Josiah led two men toward the jail at gun point. Other men started emerging from their hiding places and began taking stock of the damage.

Her attention on the events unfolding in front of the jail, Mary had momentarily forgotten about Chris. She was startled when he grabbed her upper arm and pulled her to her feet.

"What the hell did you think you were doing," he demanded, his face inches from hers. She had never seen Chris Larabee that angry. Before she had the change to reply, Chris gave her a hard shake. "You could have gotten your damn fool head shot off. I thought I told you to stay inside." Apparently, she didn't respond quickly enough because Chris gave her another shake and demanded, "well?"

"I told you I had the same right as any man to defend this town." Mary knew instantly that was the wrong answer. She wouldn't have thought it possible for Chris to look any angrier than he already was, but his face hardened even further. He pulled her behind him up the porch steps to the door of the newspaper office.

"You get in there and wait for me. I've got to take care of this, then I'll be back to deal with you." He gave her a slight push so that she entered the office. "If you know what's good for you, you won't make me have to come looking for you." With that he slammed the wooden door so hard it rattled on its hinges. As Mary sat down at her desk, she gave a shudder. She was in big trouble, and she knew it.

As Chris moved to step off the porch he spotted a kid running from the livery stable. He started to take off after her when J.D., followed by Buck, gave chase. Chris wasn't sure, but he thought the kid was one of the two riders that had split off from the main group before the shooting had started. He watched as J.D. tackled the fleeing boy. J.D. moved off the boy, and Buck hauled the kid to his feet.

"Take him over to the jail," Chris yelled to his two friends. He shook his head as the gunmen dragged the struggling youngster between them back in the direction of the jailhouse. "Just one more thing to deal with," he mutter to himself. "When it rains, it pours."

TBC


	2. Chapter 2

**See Chapter 1 for warnings and disclosures.**

**Additional warning: This chapter contains strong foul language. Do not read it if you are offended by that sort of thing.**

CHAPTER 2

"Let's me go, you son of a bitch." The kid's cursing could be heard two blocks away. Buck had a firm grip on the back of the kid's shirt and was marching him down the street, seemingly oblivious to the kid's curses. Every few steps, the kid attempted to escape from Buck's hold, only to be jerked back in line.

Chris took a good look at the kid as they approached the jail. There was something off about the boy, but he just couldn't put his finger on it. The boy couldn't be more than ten or eleven years old. He was a bit on the short side – not more than an inch or two over five feet and appeared to be skinny as a rail in those oversized clothes he wore. The dirt and bruises covering his face didn't hide the too delicate features, and his voice, filled with fear and anger, was a mite too feminine. The realization hit him like a punch in the gut. The kid was a girl.

"Well, shit," he muttered under his breath. He entered the jail and immediately tuned out the curses Jed Slater was raining down on the two men who had failed at their attempt to break him out of jail. He no sooner removed his hat and tossed it on the desk than the door opened and Buck pushed the girl inside. He and J.D. quickly followed, shutting the door behind them.

Chris watched as the fear on the girl's face changed to abject terror. She froze in place, staring at the man locked in the first cell.

Slater stopped his diatribe in mid-curse and smiled. "Well, well, well. If this ain't my lucky day." He chuckled. "That's a mighty fine present you brought me, boys."

The next second, Slater rushed to the bars of his cell, grabbed them and gave them a hard shake. It was like a switch had been thrown. "Sammy, you little bastard. I'm gonna fuckin' kill you. It's yer fault I'm in here." Slater shook the bars of his cell again.

As one, Chris, J.D., Ezra, Josiah, and Judge Travis drew their guns and pointed them at Slater. "Back off."

The man didn't move, but continued to grip the bars of his cell and glare at the girl. Finally, the fact that he didn't have any choice sank in, and he moved back.

Sammy renewed her struggles to get away from Buck. In the moment of surprise following Slater's outburst, she managed to break free and ran for the door. She was brought up short when Vin wrapped his arms around her from behind and lifted her off her feet.

"Settle down now. Ain't nobody gonna hurt you."

"Let me go, you son-of-a-bitch." Sammy resumed her struggles, kicking back and catching the long-haired bounty hunter in the knee with the heel of her boot.

"Damn it." Vin let go of the girl, but had another firm grip on her before she could take more than two steps toward the door.

"Get her out of here," Chris ordered. "Take her over to the clinic. Nathan, you go with him and check her out. Some of those bruises look pretty fresh. J.D., you go, too."

The next thing Sammy knew, Vin had tossed her over his shoulder and was leaving the jail. The young black man she had noticed in the cells with Macon and Lefty followed them out the door. She renewed her struggles and began pounding her fists on Vin's back and kicking until a sharp slap stung her upturned backside.

"Calm down, or there'll be more where that came from."

"Vin," Nathan cautioned. "Be careful, she might have injuries we don't know about."

Vin shifted her weight on his shoulder as he started up the stairs leading to the clinic. "The way she's fightin' she ain't hurt too bad."

Once inside the clinic, Vin set Sammy on her feet and motioned to a chair beside a small table at the far side of the room. "Git over there an' sit down. An' don't ev'n think about tryin' ta run agin."

Nathan gave Vin a reproachful glare and took Sammy by the arm and led her to the chair Vin had indicated. "Here, sit down and let me take a look at ya. Ain't nobody here gonna hurt you, and we ain't gonna let Slater hurt you neither."

"Don't touch me." Sammy tried to get up, but Nathan pushed her back down into the chair. "Please, just let me go. I can't stay here. He's gonna kill me. I've gotta get away." Nathan reached toward her, intending to lay a comforting hand on her shoulder, but Sammy jerked away. "I said, don't touch me." No one in the room could miss the note of hysteria that was in her voice.

"Okay, okay. I won't touch you." Nathan took one step back – far enough to give the girl some breathing room, but not far enough for her to be able to escape. "J.D." Nathan jerked his head, indicating he wanted the young man to come and help keep the girl in her seat. Once J.D. had reached them, Nathan moved over to a side board where he picked up a pitcher and a tin mug.

"I'm just gonna get you some water." He blocked her view of what he was doing with his body, but Vin watched as Nathan placed a drop of a clear liquid into the water. Nathan turned and walked back to Sammy and handed her he mug. "Here, drink this. It'll make you feel better."

Sammy took the mug from Nathan and looked suspiciously at it. "It's just water. I promise, ain't no harm gonna come to you here." He put his hand under the mug and guided it up to her lips. Sammy was suspicious, but she was also thirsty, so she took a drink of the water. It tasted so refreshing that she drank again until the cup was empty. She started to ask for some more, but she started to feel funny.

"You son-of-a bitch," she managed to say before she slumped over, asleep. Nathan gently picked her up and laid her on the bed. He removed her boots, and gently ran his hands over her legs, torso and arms, feeling for injuries.

"What'd ya give her?" Vin stepped forward. He trusted the healer, but he wasn't sure he quite agreed with what he had done.

"It won't hurt her none, it was just a drop of somethin' to calm her down a little." Nathan turned around and looked at Vin and J.D. "She was getting' hysterical." The other two men nodded. They'd heard the hysterical note in her voice and had seen the glassy look in the girl's eyes as well. "She should sleep for a little while."

He resumed his inspection of the girl's injuries. He pushed up the girl's shirt sleeves to reveal more bruising on her arms. He'd noticed the way the girl had wrapped her arms around her middle while she was sitting in the chair, like she was protecting her ribs. He'd felt the binding that was wrapped around her torso from the bottom of her ribcage to her armpits. She had probably bound her breasts in her attempt to hide the fact that she was a girl.

"Chris was right. Some of these bruises aren't more 'n a day old. She might have some bruised or broken ribs, too, but she's already got bindin' around 'em. Since that's all I could do fer 'em I'll leave that in place."

He pulled a quilt up over the girl and turned to look at his friends. "Someone used this girl for a punchin' bag."

* * * * * * *

"I'll meet you over at the clinic in a bit." It had been decided that Josiah would stand guard over the prisoners while Buck and Ezra oversaw removing the bodies of the fallen outlaws from the street. Judge Travis was going to send a telegram to his wife to tell her he would be delayed in returning home. Chris had announced he had some unfinished business he needed to attend to before they all met up at the clinic. Chris opened the door and stepped out onto the porch. He closed the door behind himself and started across the porch.

"Chris, wait a minute." Judge Travis had followed him outside.

"With all due respect, Judge, you ain't gonna change my mind." Chris turned to look at the judge, who held up his hand to forestall any other comments from the gunfighter. Somehow Chris figured the judge knew exactly what his unfinished business with Mary entailed.

"Just hear me out for a minute." Judge Travis moved to sit down on one of the chairs beside the door. He sighed, the weight of the world suddenly felt like it was resting on his shoulders. "I'm not going to stop you from doing what you feel you need to do."

Chris nodded and moved to lean against a post. He was willing to listen to what the man had to say. After all, Judge Travis was one of the few men Chris respected, not to mention he was Mary's father-in-law.

"When my son was killed, Mary changed. Don't get me wrong, she's always been a strong-willed woman. But, she became even more determined that she would stand on her own no matter what it takes. Because of that, she's made some, shall we say less than good decisions. This morning was one of them."

Chris snorted. "One of those 'less than good decisions' damn near got her killed today." He straightened up. "If I hadn't grabbed her when I did, she woulda' taken a bullet to the chest." Chris looked Judge Travis in the eyes, wanting to make sure the older man did not misunderstand him. "I aim to make sure she thinks next time before she does somethin' else foolish."

Judge Travis nodded and stood. "I just want you to think about one thing, Chris. If this is just your temper talking, leave it be. You won't be doing either one of you any good by taking it out on her. But, if it's something else, you do what you think is best." He walked to the door and opened it. "Let me know what you all find out about that little girl. Now, I've got to try and straighten out this mess that has fallen into my lap."

Chris stood where he was for a few minutes, contemplating the judge's advise. No, his need to put Mary over his knee and blister her backside wasn't just his temper talking. Despite their rocky start, Mary had come to mean a great deal to him. He didn't want her to keep putting herself in danger just to prove the point that she wasn't anyone's victim.

He sighed as he stepped off the porch and onto the street. He did not look forward to the confrontation that was to come.

TBC


	3. Chapter 3

**SEE CHAPTER 1 FOR WARNINGS AND DISCLAIMERS. **

**Additional warning: This chapter contains the disciplinary spanking of an adult. If this offends you, don't read it.**

CHAPTER 4

Mary looked up when a shadow fell across her paper. She had been attempting to write a story about the morning's gun battle for the _Clarion_, but the number of wadded up papers littering her desk gave testimony to her lack of concentration. She had been less than repentant when she and Chris had parted company earlier, and now she was mad. How dare he treat her like a disobedient child sent to her room to await her punishment.

Chris entered the newspaper office and quietly closed the door behind himself. He stood there, arms crossed over his chest, contemplating Mary for a full thirty seconds before removing his hat and tossing it onto the table in front of the window. He could tell from her body language that Mary was spoiling for a fight. Well, so was he, and he would be the one to win.

"You want to tell me what the hell you were thinking this morning?" Chris moved to stand in front of Mary.

"I have no idea what you are talking about, Mr. Larabee. I merely took steps to participate in the protection of this town." Mary laid her pencil on the desk and sat back in her chair. She really disliked having to look up to meet Chris' eyes, but she had no intention of showing that he intimidated her by standing up.

Chris growled low under his breath, his frustration mounting. He leaned over and braced his hands on the desk, his face only inches away from Mary's. "You know exactly what I'm talking about. I told you to stay inside, out of harm's way. But, you insisted on disobeying me and put your life in danger."

"You have no authority to tell me what to do, Mr. Larabee. You may be one of the peace keepers in this town, but that does not give you the authority to order me about. This is a free territory, and I have the right to do as I see fit to protect myself and my property." Mary stood and stepped around the desk. She didn't get far before Chris grabbed her by the arm and turned her to face him.

Chris pulled Mary close. "You know, Mary, since I met you I've admired your courage and grit. It takes a strong women to do what you've done. But, you went too far this morning and almost got yourself killed." He moved to the outside wall, pulling Mary behind him. Once there, he used his free hand to shove a stack of books aside, revealing the small hole that was left behind from the bullet that had hit the building during the gunfight.

"Your damned pride got in the way of your common sense. You came that close to dying this morning. Did you stop to think about Billy and what would happen to him if you'd been shot before you acted?" Mary paled. She hadn't realized she had come that close to leaving her young son an orphan. Still, her pride would not let her admit that she had been wrong.

"This is my town, Mr. Larabee. I have and will continue to fit to make it a fit place to raise a family. If that means putting myself in danger, that is exactly what I am going to do." She pulled her arm out of Chris's grasp and was slightly surprised when he let her. "No one ever won a battle hiding behind closed doors where it was safe." She moved to open the door, an obvious invitation for Chris to leave. "Now, Mr. Larabee, I believe it is time for you to leave. I'm sure you must have other business to attend to."

Chris pulled the door out of her grasp and closed it. He then took her by the wrist. "This discussion isn't over. I aim to see that you start thinking before you put your life in danger."

He moved to sit down in the desk chair and pulled Mary over his lap in one swift movement. Chris tossed up her skirts and petticoats until only her thin pantaloons remained to preserve her modesty.

"How dare you do this. Let me up this instant." Mary struggled, trying to extricate herself from Chris' hold, but this arm across the small of her back held her firmly in place.

"Oh, I dare alright. You said it yourself – I'm one of the peacekeepers here. That means I have the right to do whatever I think is necessary to keep the peace in this town. And right now I'm thinking you need a sound spanking to remind you to think next time before you do anything else stupid."

With that, Chris' hand landed a hard slap to Mary's backside, causing her to jerk in surprise. That first smack was followed by several others. Mary continued to struggle against Chris' hold.

"Stop it. You have no right to do this. I'll tell the judge."

Chris laughed, but didn't stop his relentless assault on her bottom. "Judge Travis already knows I'm doing this. You might even say he approved." He shifted her forward so that he could more easily access the tender area where her thighs met her backside. After landing several punishing slaps where she would feel them later, Chris paused, his hand resting on her upper thigh. He could feel the heat from her reddened posterior through her underclothing.

"You gonna listen to me and do what I tell you from now on?" he asked. Mary renewed her struggles and demanded to be let up. Chris sighed and reached for the ruler he'd spotted lying on the desk. "Your stubbornness ain't doin' you any favors." He brought the wooden ruler down on her backside a half dozen times. Mary cried out in pain with each swat. When he was finished, Mary lay limp across his lap.

"How 'bout now? You ready to listen." Mary nodded her head in agreement, not sure she could trust her voice. The ruler landed on her sore backside again. "I want to hear your answer."

"Yes."

"Are you gonna disobey me next time I tell you to do something?"

Mary sobbed. "No."

Chris landed three more swats of the ruler to her backside before tossed it back on the desk and standing Mary back on her feet. Before she knew what had happened, she was cradled in Chris' strong arms. She hadn't been spanked in a very long time. Her husband had spanked her once early in their marriage, but no one had treated her that way since. She felt like a young girl again, but welcomed the comfort of Chris' embrace.

"I'm sorry," she said into the front of his shirt.

Chris rested his chin on the top of her head. "I know you are, Mary. I hated having to do that, but I'd hate to have to bury you even more. What you did today was beyond stupid. You nearly got yourself killed." He pushed her away so that he could look her in the eye. "I care a great deal about you and Billy. I don't want to see anything happen to you – especially something that could have been prevented. I didn't tell you to stay inside just to hear myself talk."

Mary nodded. She knew she had acted foolishly, but until Chris had made that point abundantly clear she had been unable to admit that, even to herself. "I won't do anything like that again." She stepped back and Chris let go of her arms. She rubbed her backside, trying to ease some of the sting that Chris' spanking had left there, but her many petticoats and skirt prevented the massage from doing much good. "I promise I'll do what you say the next time."

Chris grinned. "Hopefully, there won't be a next time. But, if you ever disobey me like that again, you're going to find yourself right back over my knee. And I won't be nearly as easy on you."

"You weren't exactly easy on me this time," Mary complained.

Chris chuckled and moved to pick up his hat. "Coulda' been a whole lot worse. Why don't you go lie down and rest for a while. You've had a hard day."

Mary nodded. She needed some time to herself to think about what had just happened, especially Chris' statement that he cared a great deal about her. "Will you be at the hotel restaurant this evening for dinner?"

"Maybe. I don't know yet. There's still a lot that needs taking care of."

Mary nodded. "Perhaps I will see you there."

"Perhaps." With that, Chris left the newspaper office. He paused on the porch and looked out over the town. Life was already returning to normal. People were going about their business. A couple of women stood outside Potter's store chatting as if nothing had happened only a few short hours before. He watched as a group of children chased each other in the open space in front of the livery. Yes, life in this small town was returning to normal, but why did he feel like things were never going to be the same for him again where Mary was concerned?

Chris put his hat on and pulled a cheroot and a match from his shirt pocket. He struck the match on the porch post and lit the cheroot before stepping off the porch and heading in the direction of Nathan's clinic. It was time to deal with the next problem.


	4. Chapter 4

**SEE CHAPTER 1 FOR WARNINGS AND DISCLAIMERS**

**Additional warning: This chapter contains strong language.**

CHAPTER 4

Chris slipped through the door to Nathan's clinic and softly closed it behind himself. He wasn't surprised to find everyone but Buck and Josiah present. After leaving Mary's he had stopped by the jail and found the two men guarding the prisoners.

"How's she doin'?" Chris asked, indicting with a tilt of his head the young girl lying on the bed.

"She's sleepin' right now." Nathan replied. Chris looked at him, the question clearly in his eyes. There was no way she would have voluntarily left herself vulnerable enough to take a nap. "I gave her something to calm her down. She was startin' to get hysterical."

"You'd take a look at her injuries." Chris moved into the room and picked up a straight back chair. He sat it beside the bed where he could take a good look at the girl. There was something that still caused a tingle on the back of his neck, and he'd be damned if he knew what it was.

Nathan nodded. He sat in the chair on the other side of the bed and used the damp cloth in his hand to wipe at the dirt covering the girl's face. "Somebody's used this girl as a punchin' bag. She's covered in bruises, and some 'a them ain't more 'n a day or two old." Chris let out a vicious curse. "Yeah." Nathan nodded in sympathy. "She might also have some bruised or cracked ribs. I don't think they're broken. She's got bindin' 'round her ribcage, so I caint tell fer sure."

Chris nodded. He'd figured the girl might be older than she looked. If she was, it might have been necessary to bind her chest to hide her breasts in order to pull off her charade that she was a young boy. It went along with the boyishly short haircut and baggy pants and shirt. Chris was curious as the story this girl would tell once she awakened. However, he was under no illusions that she would willingly spill her secrets. He suspected they'd have another battle on their hands. Conversation soon lapsed into general small talk as the five friends waited for Sammy to wake up so they could find out what had brought her to Four Corners in such a fashion.

* * * * * *

Sammy slowly drifted into consciousness. She wasn't quite sure where she was, but she knew she was warm and comfortable, lying on a soft bed and covered with a quilt. She lay perfectly still, moderating her breathing as she listened to the voices in the room with her. She thought she recognized the calm voice of the dark-skinned healer and the raspy voice of the man who had carried her over his shoulder into the clinic. Still has comfortable as she was, her instincts screamed for her to run. She knew Jed Slater was behind bars, sentenced to hang the next morning, but he wasn't the only threat to her safety. Not to mention that she wasn't completely convinced that he would not somehow manage to escape his jail cell and hunt her down.

She felt a hand gently smooth the hair back from her forehead. Although she was surprised at the gentleness of the touch, she will herself not to react but to continue feigning sleep.

"Come on, open those eyes. I know you're awake."

Sammy didn't recognize the voice. She instinctively knew it belonged to one of the town's peacekeepers, but she didn't which one. She debated whether to continue to pretend to be asleep or to open her eyes. She was going to have to act soon because nature was coming to call, and she was going to have to find a chamber pot or go to the necessary soon.

She opened her eyes. The hand that had been so tenderly stroking her head belonged to the black-clad gunman who had order that she be brought to the clinic.

"Hello, Sammy." The man smiled at her, but it didn't make him any less intimidating. She knew with a glance that this man was someone to be wary of. He sat back in his chair, as if he didn't want to invade her space. "I'm Chris." He pointed to the other side of the bed at the dark-skinned man. "That's Nathan." Pointing to the other men in the room he introduced them to her.

"I'm sorry to be rude, but could one of you point me in the direction of the necessary." Sammy blushed slightly. She was trying to keep up her self-perceived touch image, but the though of mentioning such intimate bodily functions to these five men was embarrassing.

"You ain't in any condition to be goin' anywhere." Nathan stood. "There's a chamber pot behind that screen." He pointed to a tri-fold screen in the far corner of the room. "You can use that." He hadn't missed the girl's blush. He moved to help Sammy sit on the side of the bed. "Ain't nothin' to be embarrassed about, girl. We all have ta make use of it ever' now and then." Nathan helped her stand and held onto her until he was sure she was steady on her feet. "I'll just help ya over there, then we's all gonna step outside." The other men took the hint and left the room. "You start feelin' funny or need any help, you just holler out, you hear?" At Sammy's nod, he too left the clinic to go stand out on the porch.

Chris looked at the other four men. "She's gonna try and run." They nodded their agreement. "Slater's in jail, but my gut's tellin' me there's something else spookin' 'er." The men moved to the far side of the landing, away from the door and single window. Chris knew they were leaving a perfect escape opportunity for the girl, but figured one of the men would be able to catch her quickly if she decided to try and make a run for it. He didn't particularly want her to overhear their conversation.

"It took me a while to recognize her." At the blank looks the other men were giving him, Chris sighed. "Remember the day Slater was caught?"

Vin caught on quickly to the direction of Chris' thoughts. "She's the kid that ran down the street yellin' that the general store was bein' robbed."

"Only the alarm was a rouse to bring our attention to the fact that Mr. Slater was present in our little town." Ezra, too, was following Chris' thought.

"I'd wondered what happened to her," Nathan said. "J.D. and I went lookin' for her after Slater was locked up, but we couldn' find her."

"Yeah," J.D. interjected. "We thought she'd taken off somewhere to hide or had gone back home, though neither of us recognized as being a local."

Chris nodded. "From the looks of her, someone from Slater's gang grabbed her. I'd say they've roughed her up, but were holdin' her until they could break Slater out of jail so he could deal with her."

"But Slater's gonna hang tomorrow. He won't be able to hurt her." J.D. was slightly confused as to why the girl would still be afraid. To his mind, the problem was solved.

Vin shook his head. "As long as Slater's still breathin' that girl's gonna be afraid 'a him. But, there's somethin' else – something' we don' know about that's got 'er so spooked."

The men's conversation was interrupted by the slight creaking of the hinges as the clinic door opened. They knew they were all hidden from view by the open door, but were not surprised when Sammy dashed out the door and ran toward the stairs leading to the street below. As one, the men took off after her. Chris caught up to her only feet from the foot of the stairs. As he lifted her from behind, Sammy began yelling curses and struggling to break his hold so that she could get away.

Chris sat her back on her feet, but before she could break free, Sammy once again found herself draped over a strong shoulder and carried back up the stair to the clinic. Once back in the clinic, Chris tossed her gently back onto the bed. He stood over her, his arms crossed over his chest, leveling one of his best glares in her direction.

"You try and run again, little girl, and I'm gonna tie you to a chair – after I tan your hide."

"Now, Chris, ain't no call for bein' so rough with the girl." Nathan approached the bed, intending to check to be sure the rough handling hadn't caused any further injury. He immediately jumped back to avoid the punch that had been thrown in his direction.

"Leave me alone, you bastard. You ain't got no right to keep me here."

Never known for his patience, Chris had had enough. He jerked Sammy up off the bed and landed two hard slaps to her backside before depositing her hard in the nearby chair. He moved to stand lean over and braced himself on the arms of the chair, effectively trapping Sammy in place. "Keep it up, and I'm gonna forget yer injured and blister yer backside."

Sammy tried to stand up, but was immediately shoved back down into the chair. All of her instincts were screaming at her to run, to get as far away from Four Corners as she could as quickly as she could. But, her mind was telling her to give and trust these men, that they would protect her. Her instincts won out.

"Get the fuck away from me, you cock sucking bastard." Sammy kicked out, catching Chris right above the knee. He saw red, but before he could jerk Sammy to her feet Ezra intervened.

"Might I suggest Mr. Larabee, that you go take a walk and calm down." He ignored the angry glare Chris shot at him. "I believe it may be prudent to allow calmer heads to prevail." He moved forward and spoke low so that Chris was the only one to hear his next words. "I do not believe anger and intimidation is the best method to employ at this moment. The girl is obviously scared out of her wits. It is going to take kindness and tact to get anything out of her."

Ezra's words sank through the red haze clouding Chris' mind. The gambler was correct, nothing was going to be accomplished by trying to force the girl to talk. Ezra's slight nod in response to Chris' unspoken question assured him that the smooth talking man believed he would be able to get answers out of the girl.

"Fine." Chris spun on the balls of his feet and stalked to the door. "I'm gonna go calm down." He pointed at Sammy. "You'd better be good and ready to answer some questions when I get back." He slammed the door hard as he left the room.

Tense silence filled the air. "Well, now. That was interesting." Ezra moved over to the sideboard and picked up the water pitcher and tin cup. "Now that that loathsome curmudgeon has gone, let us have a pleasant conversation, shall we." He poured water into the tin cup and handed it to Sammy, unaware that Nathan had done the exact same thing earlier. When Sammy refused to take the cup, Ezra drank from it until the cup was empty. He refilled the cup and offered it to her again.

"I assure you it is nothing but water. As you can clearly see, I was more than willing to drink the first cupful. I ask you, young lady, would I have been willing to do that if I had slipped something into it?"

Sammy looked at Ezra for a long moment, trying to determine whether or not he was lying to her. She shook her head, not yet willing to trust any of the men in this room. Ezra shrugged and returned the pitcher and cup to the side board. He watched her closely as he returned and moved another chair to sit in front of her. She was tensing, preparing to make another run for the door.

"Young lady, you may wish to reconsider your next move." He sat down in front of her. "Just because Mr. Larabee has vacated the room, that does not mean you will be able to make good on any escape attempts." He gestured to the other men who had stationed themselves around the room. "I and my companions are more than capable of stopping you. And, should you be so ill advised as to make me pursue you again, I will be more than happy to carry out Mr. Larabee's promised retribution."

He watched as Sammy's tense muscle relaxed slightly. "I promise you, nobody here wants to harm you in any way." He paused while the other men voiced their agreement with that statement. "We only want to help you, but in order to do that you must confide in us how you managed to make the acquaintance of Jed Slater and how you came to be in our little town this lovely morning."

Sammy looked around the room at the men who had been hired to protect the people of Four Corners. She was tired of running and fighting for her life. Her mind finally won the battle over her instincts, and she chose to trust these men. After all, she could still get away if she needed to.

"My name is Samantha Browning, and Jed Slather and his brother, Bart, killed my mother."

TBC


	5. Chapter 5

**SEE CHAPTER 1 FOR WARNINGS AND DISCLOSURES**

CHAPTER 5

Judge Oren Travis stepped into the _Clarion_ office. He wasn't surprised to find Mary sitting at her desk, working. He also hadn't missed the cushion she was sitting on. He'd seen Chris leave the newspaper office and head toward the jail, but decided to give Mary some time before he came to check on her.

Mary looked up as the office door opened. She greeted her father-in-law and returned to the article she was writing for the _Clarion_. Her backside still hurt from the spanking she had received earlier, and the thought that Judge Travis knew about it embarrassed her.

"Mary," Judge Travis removed his hat and moved to stand in front of her desk. She looked up at him. "I stopped by to make sure you were okay."

Mary stood and walked around her desk to stand beside the judge. "I'm fine." She put her hand on his arm in a reassuring gesture. "There's no reason for you to worry."

Judge Travis smiled and rubbed her shoulder. "You don't have to pretend, Mary. I know what happened between you and Chris." Mary moved to stand in front of the window; any pretense that she wasn't angry was completely gone. He turned to watch her, but didn't move to follow her. "Just so you know, Mary, if he hadn't done it, I probably would have."

Mary turned to look at him, the surprise evident in her face. "You can't be serious, Oren."

Judge Travis held up a hand to stop any further protest. "What you did was incredibly foolish. I saw the bullet hole in the building as I came in. That bullet could just as easily gone into you." Mary opened her mouth to protest, but immediately shut it again when he glared at her. "It would have been one thing if you'd gotten into position behind some sort of barrier before the shooting started. But you wondered out into the middle of the fight." The judge moved to stand beside Mary. "You were damned lucky that Chris Larabee was there to save you."

"I have every right to defend this town," Mary protested. "It is not up to you or Mr. Larabee or anyone else to tell me what I can or cannot do."

Judge Travis chuckled, earning a glare from Mary. "You always were proud. I think that's what drew Steven to you." He put his hat back on his head and reached for the door knob. "But pride can be taken too far. I think that's what happened today. You put your pride ahead of your good sense. If you'd only stopped to think for a minute before rushing out into that fight, you would have realized that you were much better off staying inside, out of harms way." He opened the door, but before he stepped through it, he turned back to look at Mary. "I get the impression that Chris Larabee cares about you a great deal -- almost as much as I do. He tanned your backside because he does care. Neither one of us wants anything to happen to you, so I would advise you to think next time before you do something foolish." With those words, he stepped through the door and closed it, leaving Mary to contemplate his words. He would go to the saloon and have a drink and some lunch, then search out Chris to find out what the black-clad gunfighter had learned about the girl.

* * * * * *

"What do you mean the Slaters killed your mother?" J.D., the youngest of the peacekeepers and the one most prone to state the obvious asked. He was immediately shushed by the others in the room. Sammy continued as if the interruption had never happened.

"It was about two years ago. Momma and Daddy were going to open an apothecary in Four Corners. Daddy and I had come ahead to set up housekeeping and to get the store in order. Momma stayed behind in Eagle Bend to wait for a shipment of goods for the store." She got up and moved over to the sideboard, where she poured herself a cup of water. She really didn't want it, but needed something to keep her hands occupied while she told her story.

"The stagecoach Momma was riding in was also carrying a shipment of money. It was supposed to be a secret, but word of it leaked out. The Slaters and their gang attacked the stage. Momma was shot and killed." She paused to take a drink of the water.

"I remember that," Nathan said. "Everyone on the stage was shot, but the driver managed to survive. When the stage was late, a group went out after it and found him." He looked at the other men in the room. "It was his testimony that convicted Jed Slater at his trial."

Sammy was wandering around the room, picking up things at random and putting them back without looking at them. "Daddy was determined he'd go after the Slaters and bring them to justice. He'd been a marshal in Iowa before he and Momma decided to move out here and open the apothecary." She picked up a length of cloth and began rolling it. "Daddy tried to send me back to Iowa to stay with some friends of his and Momma's. He put me on a stagecoach headed for Ridge City, but I snuck off at the first stop and made my way back to town." She gave a short laugh at the memory. "He was mad, but said that since I was going to be stubborn about it, I could go with him. We decided that I would disguise myself as a young boy."

Ezra stood and moved over to where Sammy was standing. He took the rolled up length of cloth out of her hand and led her back to the chair, where she sat down. He then moved to the sideboard and returned with the cup of water she had abandoned. She accepted the cup from him and took a sip before continuing with her story.

"Daddy found out where the gang was hiding and managed to join them. He took me with him, introducing me as his ten year old son. After riding with them on a few jobs, he came up with a plan for getting revenge on both Jed and Bart. Except, he was killed before he could carry it out." Sammy paused to take another drink of water. J.D. started to ask another question, but changed his mind after seeing the look sent in his direction by Vin.

"Bart had taken off to Mexico. He did that every few months. He'd show up in time for whatever job they had planned and would take off again. Anyway, Jed decided that it was time that I started pulling my own weight, so he insisted that I ride with them on their next job. It was a bank robbery over in Silver Springs. I held the horses while Jed and his men robbed the bank. Lefty stayed with me to make sure I didn't run off." She got up and started wandering the room again.

"Seems like I recall hearin' that a couple 'a people were killed durin' that robbery." Vin rubbed his hand across his chin. "You have anything to do with that other than holdin' the horses?"

Sammy turned to look at him. "No. All I did was hold the horses. But, I decided then that I had to do something. A couple of months later, I overheard Jed talking about the new bank here in Four Corners and how he'd like to get his hands on some of that money. He was also talking about the seven gunmen who had been hired to protect the town. Jed was bragging that he'd be the one to bring you all down. He and a few of his men came into town to check out the bank. I knew that would probably be the only chance I got to do something. He was keeping me pretty close. I think he suspected something." Sammy made another circuit of the room before continuing.

"I told him I had to go to the necessary. He was distracted and didn't pay any attention when I left. The minute I stepped out onto the street I started yelling that the general store was being robbed. I tried to get away during the commotion, but Lefty and Macon caught me. They hauled me back to camp, where they beat me." The vicious curses that came from the men surprised her. She didn't understand why those men would care about what had happened to her. "Some of the men wanted to kill me, but Macon convinced them to hold me until Jed could be broken out of jail, so he could deal with me."

During her last circuit around the room, Sammy had spotted Nathan's knives in their specially designed sheath. The knives were hanging off the corner of a cabinet. As she passed by on her current circuit, she slipped one of the knives out of the sheath and into her pants pocket. She turned to face the men.

"If Jed Slater gets out of jail and gets his hands on me, he'll kill me. By now Bart will have heard about what's happening, and he will come to rescue him. Even if you hang Jed tomorrow, when Bart finds out that I'm responsible for his brother being caught, he won't rest until he's killed me."

She was standing near the door. If things worked the way she hoped they would, she would be able to make a break for it and get away before anyone could stop her.

"That's why you've got to let me go. I've got to get away from here before either Jed or Bart can get their hands on me." She edged closer to the door. In the back of her mind she thought it was strange that none of the men moved to stop her. Sammy pulled the knife from her pocket and held it in front of her. "I'm leaving, and there's nothing you can do to stop me." She backed into what felt like a solid wall, and the knife was pulled from her grasp.

"That's where you're wrong." Chris Larabee said from behind her. "You ain't going anywhere, so you can jest forget about any plans you might be hatchin' to go after Bart and set him up to be caught like you did Jed." Sammy paled. How had he known what she was planning?

Chris had been standing outside the door, listening to her story. When he spotted her stealing Nathan's knife he'd realized that there was more to it than what she was telling them. Sammy's reaction had confirmed his suspicions.

"J.D., why don't you go see if you can get some food from Inez for Sammy." After J.D. left the room, Chris turned to Vin. "I saw Nettie going into Potter's store. Why don't you go see if she'd be willing to help us out." He turned to glare at Sammy, who had moved to the other side of the room and sat sulking in a chair. "Why don't you pick her up a change of clothes while you're at it." He handed some coins to his friend. "I'm sure she's gonna want to get cleaned up before she goes to discuss all of this with the judge." Vin nodded his understanding of Chris' unspoken words. He wanted Nettie to help them out by supervising the girl's bath and making sure she didn't make any escape attempts.

Chris' last statement caught Sammy's attention. "What do you mean discuss this with the judge?" She jumped up from the chair and started in Chris' direction.

"You admitted to taking part in a bank robbery where people were killed." Chris knew that Judge Travis would not hold that against the girl, but she didn't need to know that. He also knew that the judge would want Sammy's testimony against the two men who were currently residing the second jail cell. "Plus, you cain't be more than sixteen years old. That's too young to go runnin' around by yourself. Judge Travis'll have to decide what to do with you."

"You ain't got no right to keep me here." Sammy started for the door, only to be stopped short by Chris' grasp on her arm. "Let me go, you son of a bitch."

"I've just about had enough from you." Chris pulled her across the room and deposited her in the chair she had just vacated. "I let you get away with your earlier temper tantrum, but you're gonna sit there until J.D. gets back with some food. After you eat, one of us will take you to the bathhouse so you can get cleaned up, and you are going to talk with Judge Travis. You give any of us any problems or try to escape, and I won't be so patient with you. Do we have an understanding between us?"

When Sammy just sat there, glaring up at Chris with her arms crossed over her chest, he sighed. He'd had it up to his eyebrows with stubborn females, but he also knew that along with Sammy's stubbornness was a good dose of fear. However, he wasn't about to let her get away with acting the way she was. "I expect you to answer me when I ask you a question." Ten seconds of uncomfortable silence passed. Chris and Sammy glared at each other. "Or do I need to tan your hide first?"

J.D. came back into the room carrying a tray containing a plate piled high with tortillas and a fragrant stew. Sammy's mouth began watering. It had been a long time since she had eaten. He put the tray on a nearby table and stepped back. Sammy moved to stand up to go get the food, but was shoved back down. "I'm waiting."

She looked up at Chris. For the first time she felt truly intimidated by the black-clad gunman. She had no doubt that he would carry out his threat to spank her, and that was something she didn't particularly want to experience. "Yeah, I understand."

"The correct answer is 'yes, sir.'"

Sammy could tell Chris was holding onto his temper by a thread. This wasn't a battle that was worth fighting, so she gave in. "Yes sir, I understand."

"Good girl." Chris moved back. "Eat your lunch." He watched as the girl rushed to the table, drew up a chair and began digging into the food. He then turned to the other men in the room. "I'm going to go talk to Judge Travis and set up a time for a hearing. I'll be back in a bit."

TBC


	6. Chapter 6

**Warning: This chapter contains strong language and the spanking of a teenager. If you don't like it or are offended, don't read it.**

**CHAPTER 6**

Sammy had just finished eating when Vin entered the clinic, carrying a bundle of clothing under his arm. He placed it on the table and turned to face his friends.

" Ran inta Chris on my way back. He's gonna go talk to Judge Travis." He glanced at Sammy and saw that she was eyeing him suspiciously. "Nettie will meet us at the bathhouse in 'bout twenny minutes. She'll help ya get cleaned up and into new clothes for yer hearing."

Sammy jumped up, knocking over the chair in her haste. While she'd eaten, she'd thought about Chris' statement that Judge Travis would be deciding what to do with her. The more she thought about it, the more worried she'd become. Just what had Chris meant by that? Was Judge Travis going to throw her in jail because of the bank robbery she'd participated? It certainly meant that she wouldn't be able to get away from these men and start plotting her revenge against Bart Slater. "I ain't goin' to no hearing. Some stupid old man ain't gonna tell me what I can or cain't do."

Sammy shoved the table, causing it to fall over and sending everything on top of it flying. In the melee that followed, she made a mad dash for the door, only to be brought up short by a strong arm around her middle.

"That's it. I've had enough." Vin hauled Sammy back through the mess she made. He looked over at Nathan, who had started to protest his friend's handling of the girl. "Don't even say it. She's more'n got this comin'."

He sat down on the bed and pulled Sammy across his lap. Vin landed several hard slaps to her upturned backside before Sammy registered what had just happened. She began cursing and struggling to break Vin's hold and get away from the punishing swats to her backside.

"Ya keep fightin' and you'll just make it last longer." Vin raised his right knee slightly, tilting her forward to better access the tender area where her thighs and backside met. "Don't know about you, but I can keep this up all day."

Sammy didn't doubt he would do exactly as he threatened and stilled her struggles. Vin noted her acceptance of the punishment and landed a few more stinging swats. He didn't miss her sigh of relieve when he stopped. However, the spanking wasn't finished.

"You've been fightin' us all day. We done tole ya we'd protect you from the Slaters, but you ain't been listenin'. Well, you're gonna listen now, or you ain't gonna be sittin' for a good long while." Vin paused to allow his words to sink in. "Yer gonna stop tryin' to run." He landed three more swats. "And yer gonna stop yer cussin'. A girl shouldn't even know words like that, much less use 'em." Three more swats landed on her sit spot. "Yer gonna go to the bathhouse and get cleaned up, then go talk to Judge Travis. An' ya ain't gonna give us any lip about it. Is that understood?"

Sammy nodded, not trusting her voice. She'd been spanked before, but this was much worse than she'd remembered it being.

Another hard swat landed on her backside. "I wanna hear yer answer."

"Yes, sir," she gasped in a tear-filled voice.

"Yer also gonna clean up the mess ya' just made and apologize to Nathan fer makin it."

Sammy wasn't stupid. She immediately voiced her agreement to Vin's demand. She was relieved when she felt Vin lift her off his lap and stand her on her feet. Vin surprised her when he pulled her against his chest and held her in a hug. She was surprised at herself when she accepted the comfort he offered. They stayed that way for several seconds before he pushed her back and looked into her eyes.

"I didn't like doin' that, but I'll do it agin in a heartbeat if'n I gotta." He indicated the other men in the room with a tilt of his head. "We's gonna protect you from the Slaters, but you've been doin' ever'thin' ya can ta get yerself killed." Sammy started to protest, but Vin put a finger over her mouth. "I can understand why yer doin' it, but you've been goin' about it the wrong way. Judge Travis is a fair man. He'll do right by you." Vin turned her to face the room and the mess she'd made when she'd overturned the table. "Now, go clean up that mess and apologize to Nathan so's we can get over ta' the bathhouse. Nettie'll be waitin' on us."

* * * * *

Ten minutes later a much more subdued Sammy and Vin entered the bathhouse, only to find Nettie Wells and her niece, Casey, waiting for them. Nettie led them back to the curtained off area where a tub of hot, steaming bath water had been set up for Sammy. Vin handed Nettie the bundle of clothing and a pot of ointment. "Nathan thought this might come in handy. He figures her skin is prob'lly raw where she'd been wearin' thet bindin'. Thet ointment oughta make it feel better."

Nettie accepted the bundle and with her free hand she made a shooing motion in Vin's direction. "Go on and git. Give this girl some privacy." She pulled Sammy behind her past the curtain.

"I'll be right out here if'n ya need anythin'." Vin removed his hat and gestured to a chair a few feet away.

"You'll do no such thing." Nettie moved to stand in front of him. "You go on and wait outside. I can handle that slip of a girl."

Vin laughed lightly and nodded. "I'm sure ya' can, but all the same, I'll stick around." He turned the chair around so that it faced away from the curtain which shielded the bathtub from the rest of the room. Nettie sighed and moved around the curtain to start getting Sammy undressed and into the tub. He smiled when he thought he heard her mutter "Stubborn jackass" under her breath as she went. Soon, Vin looked for all the world like he was napping. His long legs were stretched out in front of him and crossed at the ankles. His hands were folded against his stomach, and his hat sat tilted over his eyes. Despite appearances, Vin was listening to every sound that came from behind the curtain. Although Sammy was acting much more subdued, he didn't trust her not to attempt to get away from Nettie and Casey.

Vin had warned Nettie about Sammy's treatment at the hands of her captors, so she was not surprised to see the bruises that were revealed when the girl began removing her clothing. She was surprised, though, to see the girl's reddened backside. It was clearly evident that she had been thoroughly spanked, and recently. While Nettie didn't say anything, Casey wasn't quite as discrete.

"Man, looks like you got licked good. Who'd you make mad enough ta' do that?"

Before Sammy could tell the other girl to mind her own business, Vin spoke from the other side of the curtain. "That'd be me."

Sammy blushed and ignored Casey's open-mouthed look of surprise. She hoped Casey would take the hint and drop the subject, but she wasn't so lucky.

"Wow. What'd you do?"

Nettie pointed in the direction of a steaming bucket of water and gave Casey a slight shove in its direction, indicating that she wanted the girl to bring it over. "That ain't none of your business, young lady." Nettie answered before either Vin or Sammy could respond, "just like it wasn't anyone else's business when Vin tanned your hide."

Casey blushed and ducked her head as she carried the bucket of water over to the tub. "Yes, ma'am." She turned to look at Sammy. "I'm sorry."

Sammy nodded. She knew Casey hadn't meant any harm and was only curious, but she was embarrassed to have the evidence of her recent spanking on display for the other women to see. She continued to undress. Now that she was here, the idea of finally being able to get truly clean for the first time in a long while held great appeal.

On the other side of the curtain, Vin chuckled as he remembered what had caused him to turn Casey over his knee. He was confident the girl would never again pull that trick. His thoughts were interrupted when he heard a gasp of surprise from at least one of the women. Before he could ask what was wrong, he heard Nettie exclaim, "good God, girl, what have you done to yourself?"

Vin immediately rose to his feet. Was something seriously wrong with Sammy? "What's wrong?" He started toward the curtain, intent on investigating for himself.

"Ain't nothing for you to be concernin' yourself with, Vin," Nettie responded before he took more than two steps. "Let's just say that Nathan was right to send that ointment over."

Satisfied that nothing serious was wrong, Vin sat back down. A few minutes later, Chris entered the bathhouse and joined him. Vin indicated with a tilt of his head that Sammy, Nettie and Cassie were behind the curtain. Chris reported that Judge Travis was waiting for them in the saloon. Inez had agreed to allow them to use the back room as a courtroom for the girl's hearing and for the trials of Macko and Lefty. Vin reported what had happened after he returned to the clinic, including the fact he had spanked the girl. Chris sighed and ran his hand through his hair. "Figured one of us would end up doin' it sooner or later."

The two men continued to chat, but were interrupted by an angry outburst from the other side of the curtain.

"I ain't gonna wear no skirt. I want my pants back."

Vin started to stand, but Chris shook his head. Nettie would handle it better than either of them would.

"Don't matter what you want. You certainly cain't put those filthy pants back on. Casey, go on and those out to be burned." Seconds later, Casey rounded the curtain, a bundle of clothing in her arms. She spared Chris and Vin a glance before rushing off. She knew better than to stay around when Nettie was mad. Casey also knew that Nettie really didn't want her to burn Sammy's clothing, she just wanted to make it appear that she was so Sammy wouldn't have any choice but to put on the skirt and blouse.

"You can't do that. Those are my things. You get her back here right now."

"What are you gonna do?" Nettie asked, her voice calm. "Go after her buck naked. Men in this town might enjoy the show. Or you can put this skirt on."

The two men smiled at the deft way in which Nettie had handled the situation. They heard grumbling and muttering coming from the tub, but could not make out what was being said. A few minutes later, Nettie, followed closely by Sammie, came around the curtain.

Chris whistled softly. "You sure do clean up nice, Sammy." Now that she was clean and properly attired, he could see the subtle beauty that had been hidden by the dirt and bruises. He reached out and took Sammy by the upper arm. "Come on, Judge Travis is waiting for us."

TBC


	7. Chapter 7

**SEE CHAPTER 1 FOR WARNINGS AND DISCLOSURES**

**CHAPTER 7**

Earlier in the day:

"Judge," Chris entered the saloon and approached the table where Judge Travis was sitting. The older man appeared to be lost in thought, contemplating the beer on the table in front of him. He started at the sound of his name and looked up to see the black-clad gunman approaching.

"Inez, would you bring me a beer?" Chris asked as he sat down. The two man sat companionably for a few minutes before Judge Travis spoke.

"Can I assume that since you've come tracking me down you have some information regarding the young lady?"

"Yes, sir, I do." Chris proceeded to relate Sammy's story to the Judge.

When Chris finished his tale, the judge shook his head in disbelief. "That poor child. No wonder she was scared out of her wits earlier."

Chris nodded his agreement. "I cain't decide which she feels stronger, fear or a thirst for revenge. If she ain't careful, she's gonna end up gettin' herself killed. She didn't confirm her age, but she cain't be any older than sixteen, and is probably younger than that."

Judge Travis took a drink of his beer and contemplated what he was about to say. "She's too young to be on her own. She'll need to have a guardian appointed for her." He looked pointedly at Chris.

"You can't be seriously considering me for the job?" Chris was surprised. "She and I haven't exactly gotten off to a smooth start. What about Vin or even Ezra?" He knew the judge was right about Sammy needing a guardian, but he didn't particularly want the job.

Judge Travis smiled. He'd been thinking about this very topic when Chris had walked into the saloon. He knew about Chris' past – the loss of his wife and child. He also knew how good Chris was with Billy and the other children in town. The man was stern and didn't put up with much foolishness from anyone, regardless of their age, but he also had a softer side. Given the girl's history, Chris Larabee was just the person to bring her through what was bound to be a very rough patch.

"Vin is still a wanted man. Although we're working on getting his name cleared, until that happens somebody could show up here at any time to haul him back to Texas for trial. That girl needs more stability than that." Judge Travis leaned back in his chair and looked at Chris. "Josiah is too busy fighting his own demons. Ezra can't be trusted not to put together some scheme in which he'd use her to earn money." Judge Travis gave a short laugh at the surprised expression on Chris' face. "He wouldn't intentionally hurt her, but that wouldn't stop him from trying to earn a dollar if the opportunity presented itself. Buck is too busy chasing women to take on the responsibility of a young girl. J.D. is too young." He paused a moment before continuing. "Do I need to go on?"

"No, I get your point," Chris conceded. "I just never expected to become a father again – especially to an angry and hurting teenage girl."

Judge Travis picked up his beer and took another drink. "Good. Because my only other choice was to send her to an orphanage until she turns eighteen." He really didn't have any intention of sending Sammy to an orphanage, but he knew that Chris' sense of honor and fair play wouldn't allow that to happen if there was another alternative. Judge Travis was not above manipulating someone to get his way when it was necessary.

Anger flitted across Chris' face. He knew exactly what the Judge was doing. "You're not sending that girl to an orphanage. I said I'd do it."

"I heard what you said, Chris," the judge replied. "The matter is settled. Now all we have to do is hold the hearing. I'd like to get her testimony against those two men who are occupying your jail cell. If necessary, we can hang them in the morning, along with Jed Slater."

The two men continued to discuss the appropriate place for holding Sammy's custody hearing and Macon and Lefty's trial. The Grain Exchange, where court was typically held, was not available that afternoon. Inez overheard their conversation as she delivered another beer to both men and offered the back room of the saloon. It was decided that the proceedings would begin in an hour, and Chris left to inform everyone what would be happening.

* * * * * * *

Chris led Sammy out of the bathhouse and toward the saloon. Vin stayed behind to thank Nettie and Casey for helping out with the girl's bath. Nettie sent Casey to retrieve Sammy's clothes and told Vin she would return them after they had been washed. Vin nodded and turned to follow Chris and Sammy out of the bathhouse and to round up the others, but Nettie stopped him with a hand on his arm.

"Have patience with her, Vin. That girl's hurtin' and don't yet know how to handle it. You wait and see -- she'll come around."

Vin smiled and patted Nettie's hand. "Thanks, Nettie. I don't know what me and the boys would do without you."

Nettie nodded and removed her hand from Vin's arm. "You'd figure out some way to manage. You tell Mr. Larabee what I said."

With that they went their own way. Vin went to tell the other peacekeepers that Sammy's hearing was going to take place shortly so that those who were not guarding the prisoners could attend if they wanted to.

Chris led Sammy over to the saloon. He stopped outside the door and turned her to face him. "As you know, I spoke with Judge Travis. I told him what you told us in the clinic."

Sammy drew back and tried to pull her arm out of his grasp. "You didn't have any right to do that."

Chris tightened his grip. "That may be, but I did, so there's nothing that can be done that it. Judge Travis is fair man. He wants to do what's best for you, and that's to appoint a guardian for you until you come of age."

"I don't need a guardian. I can take care of myself." Sammy again tried to loose Chris' grip on her arm.

Not wanting to struggle and draw more attention to her than was necessary, Chris pulled her over inside the saloon and pushed her down into a chair just inside the door. He leaned forward to brace his hands on the chair arms, effectively trapping her in place. The position also put his face with inches of her, so he kept his voice low.

"This ain't about what you want, it's about keeping you safe. Letting you wander around on your own, especially with a chip the size of Texas on your shoulder and Bart Slater on the loose, is about as far from safe as you can get." He paused to look in Sammy's eyes. The belligerence, which had seemed to abate some after Vin spanked her, was returning. Chris sighed. "Besides, Judge Travis wants to hear your testimony about Macon and Lefty."

Sammy started to argue, but Chris put a finger over her lips to stop her from speaking. "I don't want to hear any arguments about it. You don't have a choice in the matter." He straighten to stand in front of her. "Now, I expect you to be respectful to Judge Travis. I know you've already been tanned once today, but I'm givin' you fair warning. You say anything rude or disrespectful in there, and I'll give you a hiding that make the one Vin gave you seem like nothin' in comparison. Do you understand me."

Sammy glared at Chris for as long as she dared before answering. "Yes, sir. But, I still don't think this is necessary."

Chris pulled Sammy to her feet. "I don't care what you think is necessary or not. You just remember my warning." He began guiding her through the saloon to the back room, where Judge Travis was waiting.

A few minutes later, Judge Travis, along with Chris, Sammy and the other members of the seven, except for Nathan and J.D., who were taking their turns guarding the prisoners, were assembled in the make-shift courtroom. Judge Travis pounded his gavel on the table that was serving as his bench to open the proceedings.

"We are here this afternoon to discuss the custody of one Samantha Browning, an unmarried infant."

Sammy jumped to her feet. "I'm not a baby, and don't you dare call me one." Chris instantly stood and gripped Sammy's arm, intending to haul her into the kitchen to blister her backside.

"Sit down, both of you," Judge Travis ordered. Chris stared at the judge, not believing what he just heard. "You heard me. Sit."

"Judge," Chris started to interrupt.

"Mr. Larabee, I will handle this matter." Both Sammy and Chris plopped down into their seats, both disgruntled at the judge's words, but for vastly different reasons.

Judge Travis turned his gaze to Sammy and a tense silence filled the air for the next several seconds as he leveled a hard stare at the girl. "Young lady, I understand your emotions are running high at this moment. That is the sole reason I stopped Mr. Larabee from hauling you out of here. This is your one and only warning. If there is another outburst out of you, I will allow Mr. Larabee to do as he wishes. That is if I don't turn you over my own knee. Do you understand me?"

Sammy returned the judge's stare. She debated whether or not to risk pushing this man. Deciding it was a battle worth waging, Sammy reluctantly replied, "yes, sir."

Judge Travis nodded, ignoring the searing look sent his way by Chris. "Good girl. I typically do not explain myself, but I will make an exception in this instance. I did not call you a baby." He smiled, hoping to put the girl more at ease. "Rather, 'infant' is the legal term for someone under the age of eighteen." Sammy started to speak, but stopped when the judge held up his hand. "Before you tell me that you are eighteen years old, and, therefore, do not need a guardian appointed for you, let me warn you that I will not tolerate being lied to. I suggest you do not even try."

With that, Judge Travis placed Sammy under oath and ordered her to relate the story she had told the members of the seven earlier that day. The tale she told matched the facts that Chris had relayed to him during their earlier meeting. When she was finished, he asked her detailed questions about her involvement in the bank robbery in Silver Springs and her scheme to get Jed Slater captured.

Finally, the judge decided he had all of the information he needed. It was time to bring this matter to a close with one final question.

"Samantha, how old are you?" He hoped the abrupt change of topic would take the girl by surprise enough that she would automatically answer without stopping to think. His ploy worked.

"I turned sixteen two months ago." Judge Travis smiled at the stunned look on the girl's face. Obviously, she hadn't intended to reveal that information.

He motioned for Sammy to stand in front of his bench. Sensing that she was reluctant to move, Chris stood and pulled her to her feet. He guided her to stand in front of Judge Travis, and gave her hand a quick squeeze of encouragement before moving to lean against the table where they had been sitting. He already knew how the judge was going to rule, but had felt Sammy growing more and more nervous as the judge's interrogation progressed.

"Samantha Browning, I hereby find that you have no criminal liability for your participation in the Silver Springs bank robbery. You were given no choice but to take part in that crime. Nor am I going to hold you criminally liable for your false allegations that the general store was being robbed." Sammy exhaled the breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. However, Judge Travis wasn't finished. His voice turned hard and he pointed his gavel at her. "But if you ever do anything like that again, I'm going to put you under the jail house. Am I understood?"

"Yes, sir," Samantha quickly answered.

"Now," Judge Travis leaned back in his chair. "The age of majority in this territory is eighteen. You just confirmed to me that you only recently turned sixteen. That means you are still a minor. Under the circumstances, even if you weren't underage, I'm not so sure I would let you go out on your own." Judge Travis straightened back up in his chair and waved his hand as if attempting to erase something out of the air. "Regardless, I have two choices here. I can appoint a guardian for you until you turn eighteen or I can send you to an orphanage." He ignored the sounds of movement from the other men in the room and kept his eyes locked with Sammy's, not missing the momentary look of panic that passed over her face. "Personally, I don't consider sending you to an orphanage to even be an option in this matter. Therefore, I am appointing Chris Larabee as your legal guardian _in loco parentis_ until such time as you have reached your eighteenth birthday or until such other time as determined by this court. Court is hereby adjourned."

Judge Travis stood and rounded the table that had served as his bench. Sammy had not moved from her position in front of the table. Despite her earlier nap and meal, she was emotionally and physically exhausted. She knew a large part of it was having to relive the last two years for the second time that day. She wanted to argue with the older man and tell him that she would be just fine on her own, that she didn't need to have Chris Larabee appointed as her legal guardian. But, she was just did not have the energy. Instead, she stood where she was, her head down in defeat.

Judge Travis approached the girl and placed his hands on her shoulders. Looking over her head, he sent a silent message to Chris to give them a minute or two. Understanding the judge's intentions, Chris moved to stand with the other men and proceeded to discuss how they would handle bringing Macon and Lefty over from the jail for their trial while keeping Sammy close at hand.

"Young lady," Judge Travis he placed his finger under her chin and tilted her head up until he could look into her eyes. He could see the exhaustion in her face, as well as the emotions that she was trying, not completely successfully, to keep hidden. "I know that you and Chris have gotten off to a rocky start, but he's a good man. He'll keep you safe and help you get through this, if you'll just give him a chance." He saw her skepticism at his statement and chuckled low under his breath. He wanted very much to pull this wounded girl into his arms and give her a comforting hug, but he knew she would not willingly accept any comfort from him. Instead, he settled for giving her shoulders a quick squeeze before releasing her. He gestured for her to precede him as they moved to join the members of the seven.

It was quickly decided that Sammy would remain in the front room of the saloon in the company of Ezra and Buck while the other men stood guard in the make-shift courtroom during the trial for Macon and Lefty. As Sammy moved to leave the room in the company of her babysitters, Chris stopped her.

"I guess I don't need to tell you to behave." He'd noticed the change in her demeanor and was concerned. Suddenly, the girl appeared defeated. He wasn't sure if it meant she had given up all hope or had merely decided to accept the situation. "I'll have Inez bring you something to drink. After we take care of this, I'll take you over to the boarding house and get you set up in a room. You can lay down and rest."

Samantha nodded and turned to leave the room.

"Sammy, everything will be okay. I promise." Chris just hoped he'd be able to keep that promise.

TBC


	8. Chapter 8

**CHAPTER 8**

Sammy sat at a table in the corner of the saloon. She was sipping a cup of coffee laced with whiskey that Ezra had brought to her. He and Buck – or as she was beginning to think of them, her babysitters of the moment – were busy playing a friendly game of poker. They seemed to understand that she wanted to be left alone with her thoughts.

The saloon was gradually filling up with men who had wondered in looking for news on the trial that was currently taking place in the back room. Many of the men present felt that a guilty verdict was a foregone conclusion and were expecting a triple hanging come dawn.

Sammy stood up from the table and moved toward the nearby piano. Buck started to protest, but Ezra motioned him to silence. The gambler sensed there was something drawing the girl toward the instrument, and decided to see what would happen. She sat on the piano bench, just staring at the keyboard. After several minutes, Sammy began playing. The music was tentative at first, but soon grew more confident. As music filled the room, all conversation seemed to stop. No one could believe the sound coming from the old piano. The music was heart wrenching. All of Sammy's sadness and grief seemed to pour itself out through her fingers onto the keys.

Ezra had never heard anything like it. He momentarily dreamed of the money he could make by acting as her manager should Sammy be persuaded to embark on a concert tour. However, as the intensity of the music increased, he knew that no matter how mercenary his mind might be, his heart would never allow him to exploit such grief. He and Buck exchanged a look, and he stood to go to Sammy and offer what comfort he could. Ezra no sooner turned toward the piano and the girl playing it than Chris entered the main room of the saloon. He nodded at his friends, indicating that the trial was over.

He approached the table as Ezra moved to rejoin them. "Judge found them guilty. We hang 'em tomorrow along with Slater."

Buck nodded. "Gonna be a mad house tomorrow." He tilted his head toward Sammy. "Ya' think the girl's right, that Slater's brother might come and rescue him?"

"I certainly think if Bart Slater has heard about the hanging and the gang's attempt to break Jed out of our jail, then he's gonna try an' succeed where the others failed."

Buck stood and stretched. Word of the verdict was making its way through the men in the saloon, and the noise level in the room rose toward more normal levels as exclamations of both agreement and surprise were combined with speculation about what might happen at the hanging. In a town the size of Four Corners, a hanging was almost a social event and many of the men were planning to stick around town until it was over – especially since it looked like it was turning into a triple event.

The other members of the seven and Judge Travis were taking care of escorting Macon and Lefty back to the jail. Chris had come to take Sammy over to the boarding house and get her set up in a room. He figured she had to be exhausted and could probably do with some rest. The room between his and J.D.'s was vacant, so he'd decided to arrange for that room to be assigned to Sammy. He watched and listened to Sammy playing for a moment or two before asking, "how long's she been at that?"

Ezra smiled. "Oh, I would estimate she had been serenading us for at least the last half an hour or so."

The men were silent while the music continued with no sign of it stopping. Chris shook his head. "I've never heard anything like it."

Ezra put his hand on his friend's shoulder. "Neither have I, my friend. That child has uncanny musical ability. I would swear that she had even the most hardened men in this room on the verge of tears." He smiled at the look Chris gave him. Ezra had come to know the black clad gunman so well, that he was able to read his thoughts on this particular matter. "I thought about it, but only for a very brief moment. Talent like that should be shared, but doing so by taking advantage of that girl's grief would be unworthy, even of me." What he didn't say was that if Sammy still played that way when she was no longer grieving, then he would explore the possibility of a concert tour. It always paid to keep your options open.

Buck's attention had turned toward two women who had entered the saloon. He looked momentarily puzzled at Ezra's words. Chris laughed at the look on his old friend's face. "He means he ain't gonna try an make money off 'a her piano playing." He looked in the direction of Buck's gaze. "Go on, but meet me back at the jail in an hour. I want to take Sammy over to the boarding house. If Nettie's still in town, I'm gonna ask her to stay with Sammy. Otherwise, I'll get Mary to do it." If she'll talk to me, he thought.

Chris moved to stand beside the piano. Not necessarily wanting to stop Sammy from playing, but wanting to let her know that her attention was needed elsewhere. He didn't know which surprised him more, that she immediately stopped or the tears streaming down her face. Chris pulled her up from the piano bench and stood holding her tightly as she sobbed into his chest. After standing that way for a minute or so, he guided her over to a chair. He sat and pulled her onto his lap, so he could cradle her against his chest while she cried out the grief and raw emotion that had suddenly overwhelmed her.

They sat that way for several minutes, oblivious to the other men in the room who were surprised to see the hard-edged gunman so tenderly holding the young girl as she cried. Speculation was rampant through among the onlookers as to the identity of the girl, as no one had seen her in town before.

Finally, Sammy managed to get her emotions under control. As she sat up and wiped at her tear-streaked face, she was slightly embarrassed at having lost control in such a public manner and at finding herself being cradled in Chris' lap like a young child. Chris looked at her intently, and she dropped her gaze to her lap. He placed a finger under her chin and raised it so he could look in her face.

"You ready to go over to the boarding house and lay down for a while."

Sammy nodded, not yet trusting her voice. Chris helped her standing and asked if she thought she could walk to the boarding house. Sammy was too embarrassed at the thought of being carried through town that she was determined she would walk there on her own, even if it killed her. Chris seemed to sense Sammy's mood and, with a hand on her elbow for support and guidance, led her out of the saloon and down the street to the boarding house where he and several of the other peacekeepers had rooms as part of their pay.

Once at the boarding house, Chris confirmed with Mrs. Patterson, the widowed lady who operated the establishment, that the room between the rooms belonging to him and J.D. was available for Sammy's use. He explained to the proprietress that Sammy was new in town, and having recently lost her parents, was placed in his custody by Judge Travis. Mrs. Patterson exclaimed her sympathy and offered to fix the poor child a hot meal. Chris declined the offer, stating that she needed rest more than anything, but they would be there for supper.

Having excused themselves from Mrs. Patterson, Chris showed Sammy upstairs to her room. He couldn't help but notice the spark of interest that crossed her face when she spotted the piano in the parlor. Once in the room, Sammy only glanced at the bed before going to stand in front of the window. Chris pulled a straight-back chair away from the small desk in the corner of the room and straddled it, giving Sammy a minute to gather her thoughts before he voiced the question that had been burning the tip of this tongue.

"Where'd you learn to play the piano like that? I never heard anything like that before."

Sammy turned from the window to glance in his direction. She shrugged and turned back to stare out at the street below. "Don't know. I've always been able to do it." She gave a short laugh. "Mamma used to call me her little prodigy." Sammy didn't see the activity that was taking place on the street below. Rather, she was lost in her memories of happier times.

A few minutes passed before she forced her thoughts back to the present. Earlier while her mind was lost in her music, her subconscious had come up with a plan. She only had to get Chris and the other men to leave her alone for a while so that she could put it into motion. She turned to look at Chris.

"I'm the reason Mamma was on that stagecoach." She flinched at her own words. Sammy had had no intention of revealing those very private thoughts to the black-clad man. He intimidated the hell out of her, but he had been so gentle and kind to her the last few minutes that she could help but talk to him.

Chris tilted his head slightly and gave the girl an inquisitive look. He knew there was something more to the story than Sammy had let on, and he was sure he was about to find out what that was. "What do you mean?"

Sammy turned back to the window and crossed her arms over her chest, hugging herself in an attempt to ward off the unwanted memories. "I told you she stayed behind in Eagle Bend while Daddy and I came ahead to open the apothecary and set up housekeeping."

"Yeah," Chris answered her softly, encouraging her to continue.

"My piano was one of the few items of furniture we brought with us from Iowa when we came out here. Mamma had stayed behind to make sure it was properly loaded onto a wagon to be brought over here a few days later." She turned back to the room. The anguish on her face was evident as she continued, "if it weren't for that stupid piano, she wouldn't a' been on that stagecoach." Sammy began crying again. "She would have come to Four Corners with me and Daddy. It's all my fault she'd dead. Daddy, too. So I have ta make sure their killers are punished."

Sammy was crying so hard that Chris barely understood her last words. He rose from the chair and moved to pull Sammy into his arms. He knew his presence was little comfort to the girl, especially since he was going to do his level best to put an end to any further plans for revenge that she might be hatching. He made soothing nonsense sounds and gently rocked her back and forth until she calmed down. When Sammy stopped sobbing, he led her to sit on the bed. He turned his chair around and sat facing her, cradling her small hands in his large callused ones.

"Sammy, I know it's hard right now, but you cain't blame yerself for what happened. Maybe if she hadn't been on that stagecoach that day, she wouldn't have gotten killed. Something else might 'a happened instead." He paused, dropping one of her hands to raise her chin up so he could look into her tear filled eyes. "Would your mamma have wanted you to blame yourself for something you had no control over?"

Sammy shook her head.

"I didn't think so. Sometimes things happen to those we love, but we cain't stop living just because they've been taken from us. After that happens, the bravest thing we can do is to keep on living." He'd said those same words not too long before to a frightened young boy. He only hoped they would be as comforting to this girl as they had been to him.

"Sammy, you don't know this, but a few years back I lost my wife and son in a fire. They were killed, and the crazy woman who paid to have it done is still out there somewhere." He smiled slightly at the look of surprise and sympathy that momentarily crossed Sammy's face. "You might think that goin' after the men who killed your mamma and caused your daddy to be killed might make you feel better, but it won't. Revenge just turns you into somebody you probably won't like too well." He stood and gently guided Sammy over until she lay on the bed. "Take it from me, its best to put those thoughts behind you and start tryin' to move on with your life."

When Sammy didn't respond, Chris sighed and walked toward the door. "Why don't you try and take a nap. It'll probably help you feel better."

Sammy nodded.

Chris opened the door and stepped out into the hallway. "Good. I've got to go meet the guys over at the jail, but I'll be back to take you down to supper in an hour or so. In the meantime, I'm gonna see if Nettie is still in town and will come sit with you." He closed the door and leaned against it. He didn't know if he could go through this again. Shaking off the thought, he straightened and headed for the stairs. That little girl was depending on him to be strong and help her get her life back together.

He reached the foot of the staircase and stepped into the parlor on his way to the kitchen to speak with Mrs. Patterson when the sound of his name stopped him.

"Chris?"

He turned to see Mary standing near the front door. Chris definitely hadn't expected to see her. Heck, he was surprised that she was even speaking with him after what had happened that morning.

"Mary."

Mary moved forward. "Judge Travis told me about Sammy. I thought I'd come over and see if there was anything I could do to help."

Chris nodded. "Thanks, Mary. She's upstairs takin' a nap. I gotta go meet the others over at the jail and make plans for tonight and tomorrow mornin'. I have a really bad feeling about what's gonna happen." He tilted his head toward the staircase. "Sammy's upstairs takin' a nap. I don't want her left alone. She might get some fool idea in her head to try an' take off again. I was gonna go get Nettie to stay with her. But, since yer here, maybe you can sit with her."

Mary nodded. "That poor child. I'd be more than happy to help out and stay here."

"Thanks, Mary. I'll probably send J.D. over here to help you in a bit, but until then, you can send Mrs. Patterson if you need me." Chris moved toward the door. But Mary stopped him again before he could open it and step out.

"Chris, about this morning." Chris looked at her sharply, not quite sure where Mary was going with this.

"Yeah?"

"I just wanted to say I'm sorry. You were right. I shouldn't have disobeyed you." Mary looked expectantly at him, awaiting his reaction.

Not one to be overly vocal, Chris smiled warmly at her and nodded his acceptance of her apology. He then stepped out onto the porch, closing the door softly behind him. At least one thing had turned around and was starting to go his way.

Upstairs, Sammy was quietly stewing. Laying on her bed, she listened to the distant murmur of voices drifting up from below. She couldn't hear what was being said or tell who was talking. When she was certain she had heard Chris' footsteps and the front door open and close, she walked softly to her door and opened it slightly. Not hearing any sounds from below, she crept out the door and down the hall to the bedroom that Chris had identified as belonging to J.D. Sammy figured that as the youngest and least experienced of the peacekeepers, he was the most likely to have left his bedroom door unlocked.

She was in luck, and his door opened with ease. Sammy stepped into the room and quickly made her way over the dresser. She searched through the drawers until she found a pair of pants and shirt. Since J.D. was also the smallest of the peacekeepers, his clothes would come the closest to fitting her. They would still be a mile to big on her small frame, but they wouldn't be anywhere near as big on her as the others' clothing would have been. Sammy couldn't help the smile that crossed her face as she found an extra gun and box of ammunition in one of the dresser drawers.

Despite Chris' words of caution, she had no intentions of giving up her quest to avenge her parents' deaths. To her mind, Chris Larabee might be able to live with not seeking revenge on the woman who'd killed his family, but she wasn't willing to do that.

Sammy listened at the door to make sure no one was in the hallway. After making her way back to her room, she stashed the change of clothing and gun in her own dresser and laid back down on her bed. Chris had been right about one thing, she need to rest. She'd need all of her wits about her if she expected to be able to carry out her plan.

TBC


	9. Chapter 9

**SEE CHAPTER 1 FOR WARNINGS AND DISCLOSURES.**

**Author's note:** The reason Casey was living with Nettie was never explained, so I have taken some liberty with that.

**CHAPTER 9**

"She's gone," Casey yelled as she raced down the stairs. She and Nettie had arrived at the boarding house only a few minutes before to accompany Sammy to the clinic, where she would be permitted to watch the hanging. Chris had sent Casey upstairs to fetch Sammy and bring her down for breakfast.

Chris turned to watch Casey run into the dining room, where several of the peacekeepers, along with Nettie and Casey were gathered for breakfast. "Whatta mean she's gone," he demanded.

"Jest what I said," Casey replied. "She wasn't in her room. She arranged the pillows and quilt on her bed to make it look like she was sleepin', but she weren't there when I pulled back the covers."

"Damn it," Chris exclaimed in anger as he slapped the table hard enough to rattle the dishes. "I shoulda' known she'd pull something like this." He turned to look at the other men. "When's the last time anyone saw her?"

"I looked in on the girl prior to retiring a mere few hours ago. She was sleeping peacefully," Ezra replied.

"Ya' sure she was in her bed and it weren't just her pillows an' quilts piled up the way Casey described," Chris asked the gambler.

"I'm quite certain, Mr. Larabee. She was reclined on her side, facing the door. I clearly saw her face."

"Anybody see her after that? I looked in on her before I came down this mornin'. She musta' snuck out before then. There was a lump in her bed that looked like she was curled up under the quilt. Since I figured she could use the rest, I didn't disturb her." Chris shook his head in self disgust. "I shoulda' known to look at bit closer."

"You shouldn't place blame on yourself, Chris," Ezra stepped forward and put a hand on the gunman's shoulder. "You had no reason to suspect that the girl would pull something like this."

"Thanks, Ezra, but I should have known. She was a might too calm and acceptin' of the situation last night." Chris' self-directed tirade was cut short when J.D. rushed into the room.

"I think she's armed, too. I noticed this morning when I was getting' dressed that a pair of pants and a shirt were missin' outta my dresser." He shrugged his shoulders. "I didn't think anything of it at the time. I just figured I'd forgotten to pick 'em up from the laundry or something. Now I think maybe Sammy took 'em."

"Seems to be a lot of not thinkin' goin' around this mornin'," Nettie interrupted. She had been sitting at the table listening to the men's conversation. "Wouldn't 'a figured a little slip of a girl'd get somethin' like this over on you gentlemen."

Chris glared at the older woman. He didn't need her to point out the obvious.

"Point that glare somewhere else, Chris Larabee, I ain't intimidated by it." She nodded toward J.D. "Go on with what you were saying?"

"Anyway, I got to thinkin' and went back up to make sure I wasn't imagin' things. My spare gun's missin', along with some bullets. Stands to reason that if she took the clothes, she took the gun, too."

"Hell, that's all we need." Chris shook his head again. How could one girl with a chip on her shoulder and thirst for revenge cause so much trouble? "Well, we ain't got time to go lookin' for her. We've gotta get the hangin' started. Don't want to go makin' it any easier on Bart Slater by delayin' things." He turned to look at Nettie and Casey. "You two head on over to Nathan's clinic. Anybody finds Sammy, she'll be brought over there. Let's get movin."

Ezra smiled when he thought he heard Chris swear under his breath that he was going to kill the girl when she was found. Sammy was about to discover just how seriously Chris Larabee took his responsibility as her legal guardian. And, Ezra mused, just how much Chris already cared about her. Otherwise, the black-clad gunman wouldn't have been so upset at himself over misreading the girl's intentions. Yes, Ezra thought as he left the boarding house on his way to the jail, things were definitely going to be interesting around here for quite some time to come.

* * * * * * * *

Sammy was nervous. After wandering around the town, she decided the best hiding place where she'd have a view of the street and the gallows was behind the false front of Potter's general store. She's been hiding there for the past hour or so, and was anxious to get everything over with. Her plan was to wait for Bart Slater to show up to try and rescue his brother and to shoot him down. In that chaos that followed she'd get her horse from the livery stable and ride out. She had some money stashed away near the gang's hideout. Since there shouldn't be anybody there, she should be free to ride in and get it. Sammy figured she could use it to start a new life somewhere else. There was no reason for her stay here in Four Corners, despite what that old coot of a judge had said.

Sammy was so lost in her thoughts that she didn't notice the activity on the street below or the tall man who stepped up behind her. She was startled when Buck reached over her shoulder and pulled the gun out of her hand.

"You've gotten yourself into a heap 'a trouble, young lady. Stealin' guns and sneakin' off."

Sammy spun around and looked up at him. She was taken aback at the angry expression on his face. "Whatta you doin' here?"

"I could ask you the same thing." Buck approached and looked over the edge of the false front. He spotted Chris and Vin escorting Jed Slater out of the jail on the way to the gallows. Turning back to Sammy, he tucked the gun he'd taken from her into his waist band and hauled her to her feet. He gave a sharp, high-pitched whistle to get Chris' attention and pulled Sammy in front of him so that Chris could see he had her. Chris acknowledged Buck's alert with a nod of his head and turned his attention back to the task at hand.

Buck pushed Sammy down so that she was sitting with her back against the false front. "I ain't got time to take you over to the clinic, so you're gonna have ta' stay here with me." He crouched down so that he was face to face with her. "You're gonna sit right there until I tell you ta' move. If any shootin' starts, I want you to lay flat on this roof an' don't move a muscle. You understand me?"

Sammy crossed her arms over her chest and gave Buck a mutinous glare. "Go to Hell."

"Little girl, I ain't never spanked anybody, but yer comin' awful close to bein' the first. Now, I expect you to do what I tell you and to keep a civil tongue in your mouth when I ask you a question. Do you understand me?"

Several seconds of tense silence passed as the gunfighter and the teenage girl glared at each other. Buck was starting to reach for her to carry out his threat when gunfire erupted below. He shoved Sammy over so that she lay flat on the roof and, drawing his gun, took up his position and began firing. He sensed Sammy moving forward and without turning to look back at her ordered her to stay still. When she reached for the gun that he'd stuck into the waist band of his pants, he caught her arm and gave a sharp tug so that she lay on the roof in front of him. He gave her backside a sharp slap and, once again, ordered her to stay still.

The gun battle was over in just a few minutes. Buck stood to look down at the street and the carnage left behind by the fight. Sammy moved to stand beside him. Nobody would ever know whose bullet was responsible, but Jed Slater lay dead at the bottom of the stairs leading up to the gallows. Sammy looked at the half dozen or so other bodies that either lay fallen behind objects the men had used as cover or in the open street. She recognized all of them as men who had ridden with the Slater brothers. Her gasp of surprise when she spotted Bart Slater lying behind an overturned wagon caused Buck's attention to turn back to her.

"What is it?"

Sammy gestured toward the wagon. "That's Bart Slater. He's dead."

"Well, now, is that a fact?" Buck turned to the girl. "Let's get you over to the clinic, so's I can go help Chris."

Sammy could see her chances for escape rapidly deteriorating before her eyes. If Buck got her over the clinic, there wouldn't be another chance to sneak away. She really didn't want to stay in Four Corners. There were too many memories tied to the town – memories, that despite the passage of time, she wasn't yet ready to deal with. Besides, she Chris Larabee really didn't want to be stuck with her. He was acting as her legal guardian only because that old coot of a judge had made him do it. She'd rather be dead than be somebody's obligation.

Sensing her desire to make a break for it, Buck took her by the arm and hauled her to her feet. She tried to jerk away from him. But, like the previous day, he wasn't letting go of her. "Little girl, you even think about runnin' and I might just shoot you." Sammy didn't know Buck well enough to know that he had no intention of shooting her, but the threat was effective.

Once at the clinic, Buck left Sammy in Nettie's care. The older woman took one look at the girl and, seeing the emotional turmoil she was feeling, decided to leave her alone after telling her simply that what she had done had been "just plain stupid." Casey, however, decided Sammy might be in need of a friend and went to sit on the bed beside her. Nettie started to shoo her away, but decided that Sammy might need to talk to someone her own age. Plus, the two girls had the loss of their parents in common. Unlike Sammy's parents, though, Casey's parents had died of a fever when the girl was still quite young.

The two girls sat in silence for several minutes before Sammy. Casey watched curiously as Sammy's fingers seemed to tap out a rhythm on her thighs. She'd heard about Sammy's ability with a piano, and she'd be damned if it didn't look like her new friend was playing an invisible piano.

Casey's curiosity finally got the best of her, and she couldn't keep from blurting out, "whatta ya' playin'?"

Sammy started and looked down at her hands, which immediately stopped moving. She gave an embarrassed shrug of her shoulders. "Just something that's playing in my head. It helps me think."

Casey turned to look at her. "'Bout what?"

"Everything." Sammy hugged herself and stared off into space for a moment. "I can't stay here. Chris doesn't want me. I know how, but that judge made him take me on." She was also starting to worry about what Chris' reaction to her morning's activities was going to be. But that worry wasn't something she could bring herself to voice.

Casey leaned over and put an arm around Sammy's shoulders, offering her what comfort she could. "I don't know Chris as well as I do some of the others, and I guess he can be mighty intimidatin'. But, once you get to know him, you'll find he's a good man. And, ain't nobody can force Chris to do something' he don' wanna do, not even Judge Travis."

Before Sammy could reply, Ezra knocked on the door and entered the clinic. He nodded at Nettie, who returned his greeting with a nod of her own. "I'm here to escort the young lady to the boarding house."

Sammy quickly decided it wasn't worth the energy it would take to argue about it, so she stood. Casey arose as well and pulled Sammy into a quick hug. Taking comfort from the gesture, Sammy whispered in her ear, "thanks, Casey." In response, Casey gave her a quick squeeze and stepped back.

Sammy walked toward the door, which Ezra was holding open for her. She couldn't shake the feeling that she was walking to her own private gallows. However, Nettie stopped her before she reached the door. She pulled Sammy into a hug of her own and whispered in her ear, "you just wait and see. Everything's gonna work out just fine." Releasing Sammy from the hug, Nettie held her at arms length so she could look into the girl's eyes. "If you ever pull another fool stunt like the one you did this morning, it won't just be Chris Larabee you'll have to contend with. You understand me?"

Sammy smiled and nodded in response. She was pulled into Nettie's arms for another quick hug, and with a swat to her backside was sent on her way with Ezra.

Once down on the street, Sammy gave voice to her concerns. There was something about the gambler that compelled her to talk to him. "He's gonna kill me, isn't he?"

Ezra stopped and looked at his young companion. "Who's going to kill you, my dear?"

"Chris." Sammy's gaze studied the dirt being dug up by the toe of her boot.

"Ah, well." Ezra nodded, understanding fully the girl's fears. "He is understandably upset with you at the moment. You have to admit, your actions this morning were extremely foolhardy, not to mention dangerous and illegal. I am quite certain, however, that while he will undoubtedly punish you, death will not be the chosen disciplinary method." He put his arm around Sammy's shoulders and began walking with her back to the boarding house. "You may not believe this, but Mr. Larabee already cares a great deal about you, as do I and the others. None of us want to see you hurt. Whatever form of chastisement Mr. Larabee sees fit to impose upon you, although well deserved, will serve to remind you of that and to think before you take such foolish action in the future."

Sammy nodded. She couldn't help herself, but she liked the wily gambler. She only hoped that he was right about Chris. She didn't know if she could bear it if all she was to her new guardian was a burden.


	10. Chapter 10

**SEE CHAPTER 1 FOR WARNINGS AND DISCLAIMERS**

**Author's notes: **I've written this chapter, like most of the stories I write, as I see it playing out in my mind. When I start out, I have only a general idea of where I want the story to go and let the characters tell me how to go about getting there. Hopefully, I haven't strayed too far out of character for the individual players, especially for Chris. If I have, I sincerely apologize. However, given the emotional aspect of this story, especially this chapter, I don't know if I could have told it any other way.

A belated thank you goes out to TenshiNanashi, who made a suggestion that helped me take Sammy's character in a direction I had not considered before. I believe this story is better for it. Again, thank you. It just goes to show that constructive criticism is always welcome and can, often, be helpful.

**CHAPTER 10**

Ezra opened the front door to the boarding house and ushered Sammy inside. "You are to go directly up to your room and change into your own apparel. Mr. Larabee will be here shortly to deal with you."

Instead of heading upstairs to do as she was told, Sammy stood in the doorway of the parlor. Ezra moved to stand beside her.

"Did you hear what I told you, young lady?"

Sammy started and looked up at the gambler. "I'm sorry, what did you say?"

Ezra shook his head in disbelief. Given the amount of trouble the girl was already in, he would have assumed she'd be eager to please. "I told you to go upstairs to your room and change into your own apparel." He saw the direction of her gaze. "Is it the piano?"

Sammy nodded, but turned to follow the orders Ezra had issued.

Even without his skill in reading body language, Ezra could have easily read the contradictory mixture of emotion that was consuming the young girl. He sensed a soul-deep desire to play the instrument and give voice to the music that was no doubt pouring through her head. But, at the same time, he sensed hatred, almost to the point of loathing, for the instrument and the desire to play it. "Do you wish to play it?" He watched as the mix of emotions played over her young face.

Several seconds passed before Sammy again nodded.

"Perhaps after you have changed your attire as you have been directed, Mrs. Patterson will grant you permission to play it."

Mrs. Patterson chose that moment to enter the hallway on her way upstairs to deliver fresh linens to the bedrooms. She looked between the gambler and the young woman. As Mrs. Patterson hadn't been able to help overhearing the morning's conversation after the girl had been discovered missing, she was slightly surprised to find the girl standing in her parlor. She had assumed Sammy had disappeared for parts unknown. Mrs. Patterson turned to Sammy and asked, "do you want to play the piano, my dear?"

"Yes, ma'am, if you wouldn't mind."

Ezra was pleased to see that Sammy actually had manners. Given her behavior over the past two days, he had seriously wondered whether her time in the outlaw camp had turned the girl in to a heathen.

"Of course, dear. You may play it any time you wish." Mrs Patterson smiled at Sammy. "It will be nice to see it being put to use again." Seeing the question in Sammy's face, Mrs. Patterson chuckled lightly. "I can't play a single note. The piano belonged to my late husband. I haven't been able to bring myself to sell it, and, every now and again I will have a guest who will play it. The rest of the time, it just sits there gathering dust."

Sammy nodded her understanding. "Thank you, ma'am." She turned and went up the stairs to her room to change her clothing.

Before following Sammy up the stairs, Mrs. Patterson looked at Ezra for a long moment, trying to read the gambler's unreadable face. "Will that child be alright?"

Ezra smiled. "I certainly hope so. It will take time, and a firm and understanding hand, but I believe she will be able to overcome this."

* * * * *

Unlike the day before, Sammy had not been able to loose herself in her music. While playing the instrument soothed her nerves, she could not stop her mind from racing. She figured that morning had been a prime example of her tendency to act before she thought. Truth be told, that's what had landed her in that particular predicament to begin with. It wasn't the first time that she thought that maybe if she had followed her father's orders and returned east, things would have worked out a lot differently. And she wouldn't now be an orphan in the care of a stranger who was stuck with her.

As her mood shifted, her music changed key and she continued to play on. The music coming from the piano now reflected more uncertainty than grief. Given Chris' threats the day before, Sammy was under no illusions of what fate awaited her. And, although she would never admit it to her guardian, she conceded that she probably deserved it. _What a way to start a new life – you get pushed off onto someone who doesn't really want to fool with you and the first thing you do is piss him off_, she thought to herself. It would serve her right if Larabee got rid of her the first chance he got after the judge left town.

The tone of Sammy's music shifted once again. Her ruminations hadn't solved any of the problems floating around in her head, but had only served to depress her even further. The thought suddenly occurred to her that maybe she would be able to convince Chris to let her go. She had never thought past getting revenge for her parents' deaths and wasn't sure what she wanted to do or where she wanted to go, but she was sure she would figure something out.

* * * * *

Chris yawned and scrubbed his hands over his eyes. He was exhausted. The morning's activities combined with a lack of sleep were catching up to him. He'd spent half the night before at the saloon with the guys planning their strategy for this morning. Even after he'd gone to bed, he'd laid awake thinking about Sammy and what he was going to do with her. He hadn't planned on becoming a father again. But now that he'd been thrust back into that role, he was going to put his heart and soul into it. In the very short time he'd known the girl, he'd already developed a soft spot in his heart for her.

Now, however, all he wanted to do was go back to the boarding house, have a stiff drink, and fall into bed. But, he had Sammy to deal with. He hadn't exactly forbidden her from trying anything against Bart Slater; but he couldn't let her get away with what she'd done, either. The only conclusion he could come to was that he had to tan her backside but good. As much as he'd threatened to do that very thing the day before, he really didn't want to have to do it – especially since Sammy had not yet had the opportunity to learn to trust him. He only hoped that what he was about to do wouldn't destroy whatever fragile bonds had developed between them.

Chris sighed heavily and, running his hand through his hair, he stood and picked up his hat. He was almost to the jailhouse door when it opened and Casey slipped inside. He was a little surprised to the see the girl, not to mention slightly concerned over the air of nervousness that emanated from her.

Casey started slightly when she saw Chris standing so close to her. "Um, Chris," she started nervously. "Can I talk to you for a minute?"

"Can it wait, Casey? I've got something I need to take care of." He tried not to let his impatience show. Casey wouldn't have come looking for him if it wasn't important. But now that he'd set his mind to dealing with Sammy, he didn't particularly want to be side tracked.

Casey took her hat off and held in her hands. She worried it as she gathered the courage to go through with what she had decided to do. "It's kinda about what you've gotta take care of." She looked up and met Chris' eyes. He could see the worry in them that was overriding the nervousness.

Chris gently took Casey's elbow and led her over to a chair in front of the desk and motioned for her to sit down. Once she was seated, he tossed his hat down and perched on the edge of the desk, facing her. "Go on."

Casey swallowed. "I don' know if I should even be doin' this."

Chris smiled gently, hoping to reassure her. "Is it about Sammy?"

Casey nodded.

"And you think it's something I need to know about her."

Again, Casey nodded. "Well, you see, we sorta talked for a while in the clinic, and it's somethin' she told me. But, I don't want her thinkin' that she cain't trust me not to come blabbin' everythin' she tells me. I'd like us to be friends, and that's somethin' a friend just doesn't do. I mean, a friend's supposed to keep another friend's secrets, right."

The girl was babbling. "Casey, if tellin' me is going to help Sammy, I don't think she'll be too upset at you for that. After all, you're just thinking of her best interests, right?"

"I guess, so." Casey paused to take a long look at Chris. What she'd told Sammy about not knowing Chris as well as some of the others was true. He, out of all of the peacekeepers, intimidated her the most. She rarely talked to him, and then usually only when she was with J.D. and they happened to run into him somewhere. "Anyway, while we were talkin', Sammy told me she don't want to stay here. She thinks she's a burden to you and that Judge Travis forced you to take her on." An unpleasant thought suddenly occurred to Casey, what if her new friend had been right. Casey had tried to convince Sammy she was wrong, but, as she had said, she didn't know Chris all that well. "She ain't, is she?"

Chris moved to crouch in front of Casey, so that he was a little less intimidating to the girl. He took her hands in his and smiled up at her. "No, Casey, she isn't a burden. I'll tell you the same thing I'm gonna tell her. Fact is, I'd already decided to take her in before Judge Travis named me her legal guardian. All he did was make it legal."

Casey sighed in relief. "You ain't gonna tell her I told you, are you?"

"I won't tell her. But, I think she'd be glad to have a friend that cared enough to come talk to me." He rose and pulled Casey to her feet. "Thank you for sharing that with me." He was certainly glad Casey had shared the information. Now he knew what kind of approach he would take with Sammy. That was one of the things he'd been worrying about – whether whatever he did would have the unintended consequences of doing harm to the girl's fragile emotional state. Chris was still going to tan her hide, but he would take a different approach than what he had previously planned. He led Casey over to the door. "Why don't you go find J.D. I think he was headed over to the saloon with Buck."

Before stepping out of the door, Casey turned to look back at Chris. He still intimidated her, but she'd just seen a side of him that she hadn't known existed. As a result, she saw the black-clad gunman in a completely new light. She also now felt as if she'd done the right thing by coming to share Sammy's fear with him and was confident that Chris would do the right thing. But, she couldn't help herself from asking, "whatta you gonna do to her?"

Chris started to tell her that what he did with Sammy was none of her business, but thought better of it. "I'm gonna make her understand that what she did today was wrong. Hopefully, I can convince her that she's not a burden." He gave Casey's shoulder a quick squeeze of reassurance. "Why don't you stop by later this afternoon to see her. I'm sure she'll need somebody to talk to."

Casey nodded. "Thanks, Chris." She stepped through the door, and Chris closed it softly behind her. He sighed again as he stepped back to the desk to get his hat. He wondered for the first time whether he'd done the right thing taking on the girl, both for his and for Sammy's sake. Sammy probably needed more emotional support and help than he would be able to give her. Closing the door behind himself as he stepped out onto the front porch of the jailhouse, he mentally shook himself. He had some inkling of the girl's pain and need for revenge. His own personal need to seek vengeance for his family's deaths had nearly consumed him. Having dealt with those emotions himself, perhaps he was the right choice to help Sammy work through her anger and pain.

The first thing Chris noticed when he stepped into the boarding house was the piano music. He swore softly under his breath, not knowing whether it had been Ezra or Sammy who had disobeyed his order that she be waiting on him in her room. He spotted Ezra leaning against the parlor doorway. Chris stepped up behind the gambler and said, "I thought I told you I wanted her to wait in her room."

Ezra turned to look at the black-clad gunman. He had known the minute Chris had walked through the front door. "Ah, Mr. Larabee. I had wondered when you would arrive." He gestured toward Sammy. "I determined that our Miss Browning would be better served by allowing her a much needed emotional release rather than confining her to her bed chamber, where she would only sit and brood."

Chris gave Ezra a hard look as he passed by him and stepped into the room. "Uh-huh." He stepped into the parlor and walked straight to the piano. Stopping directly behind Sammy, he cleared his throat to get her attention. She immediately stopped playing and turned to look at him. He didn't miss the flicker of fear that crossed her face before she covered it with a defiant look. "Get up to your room. You and I need to have a serious talk about this morning." When Sammy didn't move, but continued to glare at him, he pulled her to her feet and landed a hard swat to her backside. "Now!" Deciding it was in her best interest to obey, Sammy quickly started for the stairs. Ezra gave her an encouraging pat on the back as she passed.


	11. Chapter 11

**WARNING: This chapter contains the disciplinary spanking of a teenage girl. If you don't like it, don't read it.**

**CHAPTER 11**

Sammy stood in front of the window in her room. Heavy footsteps sounded in the hallway. She heard the sound of a nearby door opening and closing, and the sound of footsteps soon approached her room. Sammy stiffened in anticipation of the coming confrontation.

Chris entered Sammy's room without knocking. He had stopped by his room to remove his hat, jacket, and gun belt. As he closed the door, Chris nodded to the bed. "Take a seat." He waited for Sammy to obey him, then pulled the straight-back chair away from the desk and, turning it so that it faced the door, placed it in front of the bed. He sat, straddling the chair, and contemplated the girl sitting before him for several long seconds before speaking.

"You wanna tell me what this mornin' was all about?" He leaned forward so that his arms rested on the back of the chair. He had decided it would be best to allow Sammy to bring up the subject of her being a burden. Otherwise, if he approached it outright, he would betray the trust Sammy had placed in Casey as well as the trust Casey had placed in him. But, that didn't mean he wasn't going to discuss Sammy's behavior that morning. After all, that was the mean reason he was there.

"Not particularly," Sammy responded. She defiantly returned the glare that Chris shot her at her insolent answer.

"Not particularly?" Chris repeated her words. "Well, how 'bout you do it anyway."

Sammy didn't miss the hint of sarcasm in his voice. If she had known the gunman better, she would have known that she was treading on dangerous ground. Instead, she continued pushing forward. "You don't have to do this, you know."

_That didn't take long,_ he thought. He mentally sighed and reminded himself to keep a reign on his temper. He needed to approach this carefully. He was fully aware that he if handled this the wrong way, any trust he might have earned from Sammy would be completely destroyed, and he might not be able to repair the damage. "I don't have to do what?" he questioned, already anticipating what her answer would be.

"Pretend that you actually care 'bout anything more than the fact that I made you look bad this morning," Sammy replied. She ignored the incredulous look that passed over Chris' face. "Or that I'm anything more than a burden that Judge Travis pushed off onto you."

Even after his earlier conversation with Casey, Chris couldn't believe what he was hearing. He hadn't expected outright defiance, and he had to struggle to keep his temper under control. Chris leaned forward so that his weight rested against the back of the chair and pointed his finger so that it aimed directly at Sammy's chest. "Let's get one thing straight right here and now, little girl. You ain't now nor will you ever be a burden or an obligation to me." This wasn't exactly how he'd planned to discuss this, but Sammy's defiant attitude had left him hanging onto his temper by a thread. In an effort to work off some of his anger, he stood and began pacing the room.

Sammy cringed back away from Chris. She was afraid that she had finally pushed him too far and wasn't sure what the intimidating man might do.

Having regained his hold on his temper, Chris sat on the bed beside Sammy. "I didn't take you on because Judge Travis made me do it, Sammy. I'd already decided to do it long before he and I ever talked about it. Fact of the matter is, the moment I walked into the clinic and saw you sleepin' in that bed, something about you touched my heart. I decided right then that if you didn't have anybody else, I'd take you in." Chris shook his head and gave a short laugh. "After Sarah and Adam were killed, I didn't plan on becomin' a father again, but that changed yesterday." He reached for Sammy's hand and held it in his own. He waited until she turned to look at him before continuing. "I know I can't replace your father, and I don't want to try. But, I do intend to treat you just like you were my own child. All Judge Travis did was make the arrangement legal." Chris' eyes met Sammy's and their gazes held for several seconds. Unspoken words of trust and caring passed between them. "Do you understand what I'm telling you?"

Sammy nodded. She rose and walked over to the window. It seemed that she had spent quite a bit of time during the last two days simply standing in front of that very same window, contemplating the activity on the street below. "Before we left Iowa, I had a friend, Amanda. She'd come to live with her aunt and uncle after her parents were killed in an accident. Her uncle was the town's preacher, and you would have thought that they would be happy to take her in and help her out." She gave a short laugh of derision. "Especially since his favorite topic for his sermons was about lending a helping hand to your fellow man." Sammy paused to gather her thoughts. "Amanda and I rarely got to see each other outside of church. Finally I asked her about it, and she told me that her aunt and uncle were making her earn her keep. Those were the exact words she used – earn her keep. They never stopped reminding her what a burden she'd placed on them by being another mouth to feed and body to house and clothe. They made her work as their maid, babysitter, and whatever else they could think of. Right before we left to come here, they made Amanda marry a man old enough to be her father, just to clear up a debt her uncle owed to him."

She flinched when she heard Chris curse violently behind her. "I'm sorry about your friend." He moved to stand behind her and placed his hand on her shoulder. Turning her so that he could look her in the eye he said, "I promise you that is something you are never going to have to worry about." Chris pulled her against his chest and enveloped her in a hug. He spoke softly into her hair. "I meant what I said about intending to treat you like my own child. That means I'm gonna help you get through the loss of your parents. I'm also gonna do my best to help you grow into a strong, confident and happy young woman." He released her from the hug and pushed her back so that he could, once again, look into her eyes. He still saw wariness there, but he also saw the beginning of acceptance and understanding. "That also means punishing you when necessary. It's not something I want to have to do. If it were up to me, our relationship wouldn't start off like this. But because of your actions this morning, you've left me no choice."

Chris led Sammy back to sit on the bed and resumed his seat on the chair. "Now, you ready to tell me about it?"

Sammy's defiance hadn't completely evaporated and quickly reared its ugly head. "You never told me I couldn't try and go after Bart Slater."

Chris sighed. "No, you're right, I didn't. But, if you didn't think I'd disapprove why'd you sneak off this morning? And before you answer my question, you'd best consider that I won't tolerate bein' lied to."

Several seconds passed before Sammy shrugged her shoulders in response. "I don't know."

"You don't know," Chris repeated, somewhat incredulous. "Don't seem like much of a reason to me. You got a better reason for why you broke the law?"

Sammy's head shot up. "I didn't break the law."

"What do you call stealin' from J.D.? Or are you gonna try and tell me that you never intended to leave town during all the chaos this morning?"

Sammy looked down at the floor and mumbled something in response.

"I didn't quite catch that," Chris responded. "You need to look at me when you answer my question."

Sammy's now contrite gaze met his angry one. "I'm sorry."

Chris nodded. "I know you are, but you're gonna be a whole lot sorrier when I'm through with you." He shook his head at Sammy's sudden weariness. "Like I said before, Sammy, I didn't want to start out this way. But, I can't let you get away with what you did today. If you were anybody else, you'd be spendin' some time over in one of my jail cells. Even if I wasn't the law in this town, I'd still be blistering your butt. What you did this morning was not only dangerous, it was just plain stupid. You could have gotten yourself killed. Plus the fact that by stealin' J.D.'s clothes and gun, you've made it difficult for anyone to completely trust you right now." He watched as emotions played over Sammy's face. He could tell she was fighting a battle between acceptance of what was to come and defiance.

Chris moved to sit beside her on the bed and put his arm around her shoulders, pulling her against him, offering what comfort he could. "Sweetheart, I understand that you did what you thought you had to do. You've lived the last couple of years so swallowed up by your anger and guilt that you don't know any other way. I've been there, and I did a lot of things because of that anger and guilt that I wish I had never done – things that I can't go back and fix. I know spanking you isn't the best way to earn your trust, but you have to start thinking before you act. If you don't, one of these days you might just get yourself hurt or killed." What Chris left unsaid was that the spanking would help relief herself of some of the guilt she felt over what she had done. It was the same kind of guilt that would have burned a hole in his belly if he let it loose. He didn't want this young woman to have to go through life dealing with those kinds of feelings.

Sammy nodded and gave Chris a sad smile. "I can't say I wasn't expecting it."

Chris shook his head and returned Sammy's smile with a reassuring smile of his own. He then gave her a stern look. "Well, I suppose we'd best get this over and done with." He stood and pulled Sammy to her feet and took her place on the bed. With one swift movement he had her face down across his lap. Sammy immediately began squirming and fighting to escape, but Chris' hold on her was too tight. With his free hand, he raised her skirt, revealing her simple cotton drawers. He decided to leave those in place, and brought his hand down hard on her backside.

Although Sammy had been expecting the spanking, she hadn't been prepared for how hard Chris' hand was. After only a few swats her backside felt like it was on fire. She began struggling even harder to escape from the punishing swats to her backside.

"Calm down or I'll take your drawers down, too." Sammy couldn't completely stop her kicking and squirming, but tried to keep them under control. After several minutes, Chris paused. "Tell me why you're gettin' this spanking," he demanded.

Sammy swallowed hard. She didn't know if she could trust her voice. Barely above a whisper, in a voice that was so filled with tears that Chris could barely understand her, she said, "I snuck out to go after Bart Slater."

Chris landed three hard swats to the middle of her backside. "What else."

"I stole from J.D." Half a dozen hard swats landed on her already burning area where her thighs and backside met. "Please stop. I'm sorry. I promise I won't do it again."

Chris landed another half dozen swats to Sammy's behind and pulled her skirt down. He rubbed the small her back, telling her "it's over now, everything's forgiven." When she calmed down, Chris pulled her up to sit on his lap and pulled her against his chest to hold her in a hug.

"I didn't like having to do that, Sammy." Chris said, his chin resting against the top of her head. "But, I'll do it again if I have to."

Because Sammy's face was turned into his chest, Chris barely heard her soft, "I don't like it either." He smiled. If she was being sarcastic, she was going to be okay.

They sat that way for several minutes, before Sammy moved to sit beside him on the bed. Chris didn't miss her wince as her sore backside made contact with the feather mattress.

"Sammy, it's gonna take a while for us to get used to each other. No doubt, there'll be some bumps in the road. But, you'll see, everything will be okay. I know from experience that you'll never forget what happened to your parents, but you'll learn to live with it and with the guilt."

Sammy was somewhat skeptical at that. She didn't know how she would ever learn to live with what had happened, and what she saw as her role in it. The anger and thirst for revenge she'd carried around during the last couple of years had masked it and made it somewhat easier to bear. Now that the anger was starting to dissipate, the guilt and sadness were taking its place.

Chris pulled her close again. He held her while sobs racked her small body. Tears filled his eyes at the pain this child was experiencing and because of his own pain. They sat that way for several minutes before Sammy drew back. Chris cupped her face in his large hands and wiped at the tears on her cheeks with his thumbs. "Feel better now?"

Sammy nodded and reached up to wipe at the remaining tears on her face. "I got your shirt all wet."

Chris laughed. "That's okay, it needed to be washed anyway." He let go of her face and crossed his arms over his chest, his expression now serious. "If we're going to live together and get along, there's some rules you're gonna have to follow."

Sammy frowned at that. She had gotten used to doing pretty much whatever she wanted whenever she wanted. She certainly didn't like the idea of having to live by a set of rules.

Chris chuckled. He knew exactly what Sammy was thinking. "They ain't that bad. You don't do anything that will put you in danger or that's illegal, and you be honest with me at all times. You're also to let me or one of the boys know when you're going somewhere, who you're going with, and when you expect to be back. Think you can live with those?"

Sammy nodded.

"Good, because if you break any of those rules, you'll find yourself right back over my knee." Chris picked up Sammy's hand and held it in his own. "There's one more rule." He chuckled when he saw the look on her face. "You can come to me and talk anytime you need to."

Sammy nodded again. She surprised Chris when she threw her arms around him in a hug. He returned her embrace and smiled when he heard her barely audible "thanks."

Chris stood and returned the desk chair to its proper place. Before leaving the room he turned to her. "I think its best if you stay up here until someone comes to fetch you." If Casey came by to talk, Chris intended to let Sammy out of her room then. Otherwise, he'd come fetch her for lunch, which Mrs. Patterson should have ready in an hour or so. "You're also going to apologize to J.D. for takin' his things. It might not be a bad idea if you ask him if there's anything you can do to make amends."

Sammy frowned and replied, "yes, sir."

Chris nodded and pointed toward the pants and shirt lying on top of her dresser. "You're also going to wash those before you return them to J.D. You can get the stuff from Mrs. Patterson, but you are to do the washing yourself, understood?"

Sammy groaned. She hated doing laundry. Chris cleared his throat and looked at her expectantly. "Yes, sir, I understand."

"Good girl. Now, get some rest." Chris left the room and closed the door softly behind him. He sighed heavily as he walked down the hallway toward the stairs. He was going to sit out on the porch for a while and gather his thoughts.

When he stepped out onto the porch he was surprised to see Vin sitting there. In the short time they'd known each other he and the tracker had become good friends. Chris supposed that Vin was the only person since Sarah who could read his thoughts and understand what was going on without him having to say a word.

Vin looked up at the sound of the opening door. He reached for the whisky bottle and held it up. "Thought you might want this." At Chris' nod, Vin poured them both a shot. The two men sat in silence, enjoying their drinks and watching the hustle and bustle in town. Finally, Vin broke the silence. "She gonna be alright?"

Chris sat his shot glass back on the table. "Yeah, I think so. It's going to be rough going for a while yet, but I think she'll get through it."

Vin nodded. "How 'bout you?"

Chris turned to look at his friend. Their eyes met and their gazes held for several seconds, unspoken thoughts passing through them. "Yeah, I'll make it." That was all that had to be said. Vin poured them both another shot and the two men resumed their observation of the busy town. It had been a long two days, and they were both glad for the few minutes of companionable silence. Hopefully, things would get back to normal quickly, or at least as normal as life ever got in Four Corners.

* * * * * *

Author's note: I am going to be marking this story as complete with this chapter. However, I have been contemplating a epilogue -- sort of a glimpse of Chris, Sammy, and company 15 years later. But I haven't yet decided whether or not to add it. Any feedback as to whether or not I should include it would be greatly appreciated.


	12. Chapter 12

**See Chapter 1 for Warnings and Disclosures. This chapter contains references to the disciplinary spanking of a teenager.**

**Author's note:** In my note at the end of Chapter 11 I indicated that except for the possibility of an epilogue, I considered this story to be complete. However, Sammy and Casey have been nagging me to add this chapter. I apologize, but it is quite a bit shorter than the previous chapters. Except for the epilogue, which will be posted separately, this will be the last chapter in this story. Any new stories I write involving Sammy will be posted separately.

Thanks to everyone who reviewed this story. Your comments have made my efforts worthwhile.

**CHAPTER 12**

At the knock on her bedroom door Sammy looked up from the book she was reading. After lunch Chris had given her the option of staying downstairs instead of returning to her room. He thought she might want to start getting to know the town of Four Corners and some of the people in it, since it would be her home for the foreseeable future. Sammy had declined the offer and, borrowing a book from Mrs. Patterson's library, had returned to her room. She needed to spend some time alone with her thoughts. The kind of thinking she had to do wasn't something she could do while absorbed in her music.

"Come in," she, expecting to see Chris come through the door. He'd already been up to check on her once. She didn't know if he was checking to see if she was alright or if she was still there and hadn't run off. Sammy knew it would take a while to earn the trust of her new guardian and his fellow peacekeepers. Given her actions the last two days, she couldn't blame them.

Sammy was a little surprised when Casey opened the door. "Can I come in?"

Sammy sat up, wincing as her weight shifted onto her still sore backside. Who would have thought a man's hand could be that hard? "Sure, Casey, come on in."

Casey came in and sat beside Sammy on the edge of the bed. "Chris said I could come up. I'd thought I'd check ta see if you were doin' okay."

Sammy gave her friend a reassuring smile. "Other than a sore backside, I'm doing fine."

Casey laughed and shook her head. "That's gotta be a record, getting' tanned twice in as many days. Even I haven't managed ta do that."

Sammy laughed at Casey's comment. "Believe me, I don't recommend it."

The two girls chatted companionably for a few more minutes before Casey turned serious. "Sammy, there's something I gotta tell ya. And, if you don't want ta be my friend after, I'll understand."

Sammy was surprised, and a little concerned at her new friend's comment. "It can't be that bad."

Casey shrugged. Now that the time had come for her confession, she wasn't sure she could go through with it. She bit at her thumb nail as she decided how best to tell Sammy she had betrayed her trust. "Well, you remember that conversation we had in the clinic? The one where you said you was afraid of bein' a burden to Chris?"

Sammy wasn't sure she was going to like what she heard, but answered, "yes."

"Well, I kinda went and told Chris about it." Casey stood and started pacing the room. She couldn't sit still and was afraid to look at Sammy and see the anger in her face. "I thought he might need to know, so's he could talk to you 'bout it, seein' how worried you were 'bout it and all." Casey finally got up the courage to turn to face Sammy. "You don't hate me, do you?"

Sammy suddenly understood why her friend was so worried. She was touched that Casey had cared about her enough to do what she had done. Sammy stood and walked over to Casey and drew her into a hug. "No, Casey, I don't hate you. I'm not even mad at you, and I still want you to be my friend." She heard Casey sigh in relief. "I'm thankful you cared enough to go talk to him. It couldn't have been easy."

Casey pulled away from Sammy. "Ya got that right. I don't think I've ever been so nervous about talkin' to somebody in my life. That man just plain scares the bejesus outta me sometimes."

"I know what you mean. I lived with an outlaw gang the last two years, and he scared me. That's sayin' something."

Both girls laughed and resumed their seats on the bed. Casey proceeded to tell Sammy about Four Corners and the seven men who had become the town's protectors. Sammy almost fell off the bed laughing when Casey told her about the card game in which Ezra had literally lost everything but his boots and his hat.

Chris paused outside the open door to Sammy's room. It was good to hear her talking and laughing with Casey. He knew that he would do whatever he could to help Sammy through the difficult times to come as she grieved for her parents. But, he also knew that Sammy would need a friend. Chris was glad to see that she and Casey got along so well. He thought that Casey would be able to help Sammy a lot, having endured the loss of her own parents.

He knocked on the door frame and stuck his head into the room. "Casey, you plannin' on stayin' for supper?"

Casey looked up, surprised. She had completely lost track of time. "You mean it's that late already." She turned to Sammy and gave her a quick hug. "I gotta go. I promised Aunt Nettie I'd be home by supper time. She's gonna skin me if I'm late. I'll see you, tomorrow, Sammy."

Chris smiled at her. "Somehow, I don't think Nettie will be too upset with you." He stopped her as she rushed past him. "Thanks."

Casey looked at him. For the first time, she wasn't completely intimidated by being in his presence. She briefly wondered what he was thanking her for, but it quickly dawned on her. She nodded in acknowledgement.

He walked into the room and sat down beside Sammy. "What do the two of you have planned for tomorrow," he asked.

Sammy shrugged. "Oh, she offered to show me around town and introduce me to some people." A thought suddenly occurred to Sammy, she hadn't checked with Chris before making plans. He hadn't exactly told her that she had to check every move with him, just that she had to keep him informed about where she was going. "That's okay, isn't it."

"That's fine." Chris put his arm around Sammy's shoulders. "I think it's a good idea."

Standing to leave the room, he turned back to look at her. "I'm glad you and Casey have become friends. I think the two of you have a lot in common."

Sammy nodded and picked up the book she'd laid on the bed when Casey had come in.

"Supper will be ready in about twenty minutes." Chris walked out of the room.

Sammy laid the book back down. Maybe, she thought, her new life wasn't going to be so bad after all.


	13. Epilogue

Fifteen years later:

Chris sat on the front porch of the large ranch house. He was enjoying a last few minutes of peace before the horde that was his family descended upon his ranch for the cookout that had been planned to celebrate the Fourth of July. As he sat contemplating the events in his life, he noticed the cloud of dust that rose up in the distance. He called into the house and a few minutes later, Mary stepped out onto the porch, drying her hands on a dish towel.

"You know yet which one it is?"

Before he could answer, their ten-year old daughter, Sarah, came running onto the porch. She was supposed to have been out in the barn finishing up her chores. But judging from the dirt on her face and clothes, Chris doubted that was what she'd been doing. He'd said often since the girl had been born that by the time she was grown he'd either be gray or bald from tearing his hair out in frustration at her antics. It wasn't that Sarah was a bad child. Rather, she had a strong sense of adventure that she hadn't quite learned to tame, and it often got her into trouble. That also explained her nickname.

"Hey, Trouble. You finished your chores, yet?"

Sarah grinned at her father. "Not yet."

Chris knew his daughter well enough to know that her chores would, eventually, be completed. But, she had, no doubt, been distracted by her latest adventure. "What have you been doing?"

"Stuff."

"Stuff, huh? Well, you'd best get those chores finished before dinner or I'll be doing 'stuff' to your backside." Chris forced himself not to grin. He didn't know how many times he and Sarah had gone through this very same routine. It had almost become a game with them.

"Yes, Papa." Sarah launched herself at her father and gave him a big hug. She had no doubt what would happen if she didn't get her chores done on time. However, she was confident that they'd be finished well before her mother rang the dinner bell. She was almost finished and had only came to the house because she, too, had seen the dust rising from the road. Mary couldn't help smiling at the exchange between her husband and daughter. They were more alike than either of them realized.

The three people watched as the wagon pulled into the yard and came to a stop in front of the house. Billy hurried to jump down from the bench seat and lift his two year old son, Steven, to the ground. He and his wife, Elizabeth, who was heavily pregnant with their second child, watched as the boy ran as fast as his little legs would carry him to the porch. As he ran he alternately called out "Grandma, Grandpa."

Steven soon found himself being swung up into his grandmother's arms for a quick hug before he launched himself at his grandfather. Chris caught the boy and tossed him up into the air before delivering a hug of his own. Settling the boy on his hip, Chris watched Billy helping Elizabeth across the yard to the porch. He was worried about his daughter-in-law traveling so late in her pregnancy, even if it was a short distance from the "Old Travis Place" to the ranch. Mary had gifted the property she had bought with Billy's father to Billy and Elizabeth as their wedding present. A few years before, Billy had taken over the running of the _Clarion_, and was enjoying even more success than his mother as the newspaper's editor.

Chris was glad that Nathan, Rain and their children would be arriving the next day. After finally deciding to marry Rain, Nathan and his new wife had returned to Four Corners, where he still operated his clinic. Chris hoped nothing would happen with Elizabeth, but at least Nathan would be there if it did. There was nobody Chris would have trusted more to care for his young daughter-in-law.

A few minutes later another wagon pulled into the ranch yard. It no sooner came to a stop than a boy and girl jumped out and ran up to the porch. The twins, Adam and Rachel, were only a year younger than Sarah. The three children were more like cousins than aunt and niece and nephew. After quick hugs of greeting, Adam and Rachel, along with Sarah, dashed off the porch in the direction of the barn. Sammy called out a warning for them to behave. Her husband, Michael, came around the wagon to take their sleeping daughter, Michele, from her arms so she could climb down from the wagon.

Sammy had been teaching in Four Corner's small one room schoolhouse when Michael came to town. He had eventually taken over as the town's sheriff when the members of the seven, as they had become known, had decided it was time to step down as peacekeepers. As she had when the twins had been born, Sammy had taken the year off when she had Michele. She was trying to wean Michele and would be returning to the classroom in the fall.

Later that night Chris stepped out onto the porch. The children had all been tucked into their various beds, and the adults were enjoying a last cup of coffee while catching up on all the news. He lit a cheroot and turned at the sound of the door opening behind him. When he saw that it was Mary coming to join him, he turned back to contemplate the night. Mary stepped up behind him and slipped her arms around his waist. She leaned forward to rest her cheek against the back of his shoulder. They stood that way for several minutes before Mary broke the silence.

"It's good to have them all home again."

Chris crushed out the cheroot and tossed it into the yard. He turned to slip an arm around Mary's shoulders and draw her to his side. Yes, he thought, it was good to have all of his children home.


End file.
